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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 

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Coloured  pages/ 
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Pages  damaged/ 
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10X  14X  18X  22X 


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BS 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
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empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^-(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparaTtra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  Ie 
cas:  Ie  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  Ie 
symbols  y  signifie  "FIN". 


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Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
fiimte  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  Ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  fiimd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  ie  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


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6 

PROFESSOR  SOMTAG'S 

THEILLING    NAEEATIVE 


OP  THE 


GRIIELL  EXPLORING  EXPEDITION 

IN  THE  YEARS 

1853,  1854,  AND   1855, 

IN  SEAECH   OF   SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN, 

UNDER  THE  COMMAND  OP 

DR.  E.  K.  KANE,  U.S.N. 

CONTAINING 

THE   HISTORY  OF  ALL  PREVIOUS  EXPLORATIONS  OF  THE  ARCTIC  OCEAN,  FROM  THE 
YEAR  1618  DOWN  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME; 

SUOWING   now  FAR  TIIEY  ADVANCED  NORTHWARD,  WHAT  DISCOVERIES  THEY  MADE, 

AND  THEIR   SCIENTIFIC  OBSERVATIONS.    THE  PllKSENT  WHEREAnOlITS  OF  SIR  JOHN 

FKANKLI^  AND    HIS  PARTY,  IF  THEY  ARE  STILL  ALIVE.     A  STATEMENT  OF  THE 

ONLY  PKACTICAULE  MKTHOD  BY  WHICH  THE  NORTH  POLE  MAY  BE  RE.\CHED; 

THE    REASONS    WHY    ALL    EXPLORING    EXPEDITIONS    HAVE    HITHERTO 

FAILED  TO  PENETRATE  THE  ICY  BARRIERS  OF  THE  POLAR  REGIONS. 

HIGHLY  IMPORTANT  ASTRONOMICAL  OBSERVATIONS, 

PROVING  THAT  THERE  IS  NO  SUCH  THING  AS  APPARENT  TIME  AT  THE  NORTH  POLE;  SUP- 

FERINOS  OK  DR.  KANE'S  EXPLORING  PARTY;  HOW  THEY  WERE  BURIED   FOR  TWO  YEARS 

IN  THE  ICE,  ENDURING  A  DEGREE  OF  COLD  NEVER  EXPERIENCED  BY  ANY  HU.MAN 

BEING  BEFORE;  THEIR  MIRACULOUS  ESCAPES  AND  UN"HECEDENTED  HARD- 

BHIl'S;    THEIR    ABANDONMENT    OF    THE    SHIP;       \D    PERILOUS 

JOURNEY  OF  FOUR  HUNDRED  MILES  OVER  THE  ICE. 

WITH  NEARLY  ONE  HUNDRED  SPLENDID  ENGRAVINGS. 

BY 

PROFESSOR   AUGUST   SONNTAG, 

ASTRONOMER  TO  "HE   EXPEDITION,   FORMERLY    OP    THE    ROYAL    OBSERVATORY    AT  VIENNA,   ASD 
LATH   OF   THE  V.  3.  NATIONAL  OBSERVATORY,  WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 


PHILADELPHIA,  PENN.: 

JAS.     T.      LLOYD     &     CO, 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO: 

JAS.     T.     LLOYD     &     CO. 


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Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

MRS.    ELLA    LLOYD, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  and 
for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


STRHEOTVPET)    BY   GEORGE    CHARLES. 
PRINTED    BY   C.    SHERMAN   Ic   SOX. 


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TO  COMMODORE  ROBERT  F.  STOCKTON,  IT.  S.  N. 

Dear  Sir  : — Aware  of  the  deep  interest  you  take  in  every 
enterprise  which  is  calculated  to  exalt  the  reputation  of  the 
Naval  Service  of  your  country — an  object  to  which  your  per- 
sonal efforts  have  been  long  and  successfully  directed — I 
dedicate  this  Volume  to  you,  confident  that  you  will  not  dis- 
approve of  the  association  of  your  name  with  the  narrative 
of  an  undertaking  which  was  worthy  of  the  chivalric  and 
heroic  character  of  the  American  Navy ;  and  which  was  de- 
signed to  serve  the  cause  of  science  and  humanity.  While  I 
avail  myself  of  that  additional  claim  to  public  consideration 
which  this  Narrative  will  acquire  from  tb  j  use  of  your  name, 
I  rejoice  in  the  opportunity  thus  aflforded  me,  to  offer  this 
tribute  (however  unnecessary  and  valueless  it  may  be)  to 
your  private  character  and  public  services.  When  I  express 
the  hope  that  these  services  may  meet  with  due  appreciation 
from  the  country  of  your  birth  and  my  adoption,  I  feel  that 
all  has  been  said  which  can  declare  the  good  wishes  of  your 
obliged  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

THE  AUTHOR. 
(5) 


Clo'T^X 


PREFACE. 


I 


i 


If  the  publication  of  such  a  book  as  this  required  any  ex- 
planation or  apology,  it  would  be  sufficient  to  say  that  every 
item  of  information  relating  to  Arctic  discovery  is  eagerly  de- 
sired by  the  public  at  this  time,  and  it  would  be  almost  crimi- 
nal for  any  man  who  possesses  such  information  to  withhold 
it  from  the  world.  The  undersigned  having  purchased  Pro- 
fessor Sonntag's  Narrative  of  the  Grinnel  Expedition,  some 
months  since,  have  used  their  best  judgment  and  abilities  in  pre- 
paring this  thrilling  narrative  for  the  press,  to  make  it  as  ac- 
ceptable to  the  reading  public  as  possible.  The  artistic  embel- 
lishments and  electrotyping  are  of  the  first  order  j  and  we  feel 
assured  that  many  highly  interesting  facts  recorded  in  this 
work  have  never  appeared  in  print  before.  We  are  equally 
confident  that  no  man  who  ever  visited  the  Polar  climes  could 
be  better  qualified  by  nature  and  education  to  give  an  accurate 
and  satisfactory  account  of  Arctic  affairs,  than  the  gifted  and 
scientific  gentleman  whose  narrative  we  now  ofier  to  the 
public.  All  preceding  journals  of  Arctic  travelers  have  been 
more  or  less  vague  and  incomplete,  being  for  the  most  part 
diaries  of  personal  adventure  rather  than  graphic  descriptions 
of  the  localities,  incidents,  and  peculiarities  of  those  myste- 

(6) 


PREFACE. 


rious  regions  which  surround  the  Pole,  and  their  almost  equally 
remarkable  inhabitants.  In  this  work,  as  wo  confidently 
believe,  the  reading  public  will  have  the  most  concise  and 
complete  description  of  the  manners  and  habits  of  the  Esqui- 
maux tribes  that  has  ever  issued  from  the  press. 

Professor  Sonntag  is  now  engaged  with  a  party  of  scientific 
gentlemen  in  making  explorations  in  Central  America  and 
in  Mexico;  accounts  of  their  observations  in  those  countries, 
together  with  drawings,  maps,  &c.,  all  of  the  highest  import- 
ance to  geographical  and  geological  science,  will  appear  in  book 
form  as  soon  as  the  work  can  be  made  ready. 

Respecting  the  price  of  this  Volume,  we  have  concluded  to 
put  it  at  such  a  low  figure,  as  will  enable  all  classes  to  read  it. 
The  first  edition  has  been  ordered  in  advance  of  its  publication, 
and  we  confidently  believe  that  it  is  destined  to  have  an  un- 
precedented circulation. 

JAS.  T.  LLOYD  &  CO. 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  Ist,  1857. 


I 


CONTENTS. 


i 


rioi 
CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory  Obsorvations  on  Voyages  of  Discovery  and  Exploration  in  Gene- 
ral.— The  Unfortunate  Expedition  of  Sir  John  Franklin. — Ineffectual  At- 
tempts to  Discover  his  Whereabouts  and  afford  him  llelief 11 

CHAPTER  II. 

Captain  Kane's  Expedition  starts  from  New  York — Affecting  Scenes  at  its 
Departure — Arrival  at  St.  John's — The  Tribulations  of  the  Adventurers 
begin  Early. — The  Expedition  reaches  Greenland. — Modes  of  Living  of 
the  Esquimaux. — Visit  to  the  Danish  Settlement. — Frequent  and  Terriflo 
Appearance  of  Icebergs. — How  they  are  Formed,  etc 25 

CHAPTER  III. 

Further  Observations  on  the  Difficulties  of  Arctic  Navigation. — "  Floes"  and 
"  Hummocks"  of  Ice  described. — Ships  Built  expressly  for  Navigating  the 
Polar  Seas. — Preparations  for  Passing  the  Winter  among  the  Ice. — We 
begin  to  Experience  all  the  Horrors  of  the  Climate. — Great  Mortality  among 
the  Dogs 33 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Our  Situation  becomes  more  and  more  Unpleasant. — The  Arctic  Winter  sets  in. 
— Intense  Cold,  and  its  Surprising  Effects. — Polar  Scenery. — Dreadful  Suf- 
ferings of  our  Excursion  Parties. — We  are  visited  by  the  Savage  Esqui- 
maux.— Their  Personal  Appearance,  Dress,  Manners,  and  Character 41 

CHAPTER   V. 
Some  Account  of  the  Esquimaux  Dogs. — Their   Singular  Habits  and  Great 
Utility. — Further  Account  of  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Superstitions  of  the 
Savage  Esquimaux. — We  obtain  another  Dog-Team,  and  send  out  two  new 
Traveling  Parties,  one  commanded  by  Dr.  Kane  in  person 51 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Numbers  of  Walruses  or  Sea-Horses  are  Discovered. — Description  of  the  Ap- 
pearance, Habits,  and  Peculiarities  of  these  Animals. — Summer  Scenery  in 
the  Arctic  Regions. — Vegetation. — Animal  Life. — Arctic  Birds,  Bears, 
Foxes  and  Rabbits < 67 


CONTENTS. 


At- 

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CHAPTER    VIII. 

Terrific  Woter  Spout.— A  ThrilUnj?  Scono.— Largo  Fire  Ball  Precipitated  into 
the  Sea. — Seals,  and  their  Mode  of  IIidinf(. — Wcnriaomo  Juiirnvy  across  the 
Ice. — How  the  Esquimaux  hunt  Seals.— Woter  Torrents. — Wo  prepare  to 
Spend  another  Winter  in  our  Ship,  without  Fires  at  Night. — Great  SufTor- 
ing. — Fulluro  of  Dr.  Kane's  Party  to  roach  Beechy  Island 75 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Troubles  and  Disappointments. — Another  Winter  sots  in. — Scorcity  of  Fuel. — 
Two  Bears  visit  our  Ship. — A  Battle. — Severe  Suffering  and  Sickneas. — 
Esquimaux  Architecture,  &c. — Their  Sleeping  Apparatus 80 

CHAPTER   X. 

Arctic  Sportsmanship. — Frequent  Visits  of  the  Esquimaux. — Life  in  the  Es* 
quimaux  Huts. — Modes  of  Cooliing,  Cooking  Utensils,  etc. — Occupations 
of  Men,  Women,  and  Children. — Laziness  and  Gluttony  of  the  Esquimaux. 
—Their  Hunting  Excursions:  Difficulties  and  Dangers  thereof. — Interesting 
Anecdote  of  two  young  Esquimaux  Hunters 88 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Esquimaux  Hunting. — Boar  Baiting  Extraordinary. — Walrus  Catching. — Sin- 
gular  Customs. — Esquimaux  Oonorosity  and  Benevolence. — Fourierism  in 
Greenland. — Our  Situation  becomes  Desperate. — Abandonment  of  the  Ship 
and  the  Main  Object  of  the  Expedition 95 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Reasons  why  all  Arctic  Expeditions  have  been  Failures. — Captain  Parry's 
Explorations  the  most  Successful. — Suggestions  for  a  New  Plan  of  Arctic 
Exploration. — The  Possibility  of  Reaching  the  North  Pole. — How  that  Ob- 
ject may  be  effected 100 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

An  attempt  to  Answer  the  Question  "  Of  what  use  ore  Arctic  Explorations?" 
— "  Will  they  Pay  ?" — Hints  for  Enterprising  Capitalists  and  Yankee  Spe- 
culators.— Advantages  of  Polar  Researches  to  the  cause  of  Science,  an  object 
worthy  of  the  Noblest  Ambition.— Observations  to  be  made  at  the  Pole. . . .  105 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Devotions  on  Shipboard. — We  bid  a  Final  Adieu  to  the  "  Advance."— The 
Celebrated  Boat  Journey  commenced. — Appalling  Dangers  of  this  Enter- 
prise.— Terrible  Sufferings. — Narrow  Escape  from  Drowning. — Distressing 
Accident. — Death  and  Funeral  of  the  Carpenter. — A  Grave  unexpectedly 
Provided 112 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Arrival  at  Open  Water. — Embarkation. — Adventures  at  Sea. — Arrival  at  Hak- 
luyt's  Island. — Great  Sportsmanship. — Dreary  Aspect  of  the  Coast. — The 
Transportation  of  Rooks  by  Icebergs. — Scarcity  of  Provisions. — Large  Sup- 
plies of  Duck  Eggs.— Want  of  Fuel  to  Cook  them 120 


CONTENTS. 


PAOB 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Wo  arrive  at  a  Spot  well.  Populated  by  Fon^hored  Bipeds. — Great  Slaughter  of 
the  Inhabitants. — We  expect  to  Meet  ^yith  Whalers,  but  are  Disappointed. — 
Vexatious  Deceptions  practised  ou  us  by  the  Icebergs. — Arrival  at  Melville 
Island.— Difficulties  of  Navigation  at  that  Point. — Three  White  Men  are 
Discovered  on  an  Island. — Arrival  at  a  Danish  Settlement. — The  end  of  the 
famous  Boat  Journey 127 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

Our  Cool  Reception  at  Upernavik. — The  Esquimaux  Treat  us  Handsomely.— 
The  Curious  Religious  Notions  of  these  People. — Their  Government. — Their 
Strange  Duels. — Improvements  in  their  Modes  of  Living 135 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Dresses  and  Decorations  of  Esquimaux  Ladies. — An  Ingenious  Signal,  or  a 
Beau-Catching  Contrivance. — Admirable  Construction  of  the  Esquimaux 
Boats. — Reindeer  Hunting  by  Water.— We  Proceed  in  a  Danish  Ship  to 
Disco  Island. — Our  Hospitable  Reception. — Arrival  of  Captain  Ilartstein's 
Expedition  in  Search  of  Dr.  Kane. — Wo  Embark  for  the  United  States. — 
Arrival  at  New  York. — Conclusion  of  the  Narrative 141 


G 


INTR 
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SOMTAG'8  KARRATIYE 


127 


135 


OF  THE 


GRINNELL  EXPEDITION 


IN   SEARCH   OP 


SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN, 


ZIN*    iaS3-4-S. 


CHAPTER  I. 


141 


j 


INTRODUCTORY  OESERYATIONS  ON  VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  EXPLORATION 
IN  GENERAL. — THE  UNFORTUNATE  EXPEDITION  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 
INEFFECTUAL  ATTEMPTS  TO  DISCOVER  HIS  WHEREABOUTS  AND  TO  AFFORD 
HIM  RELIEF. 

The  exploration  of  un- 
known regions  has  al- 
ways'been  a  favorite  ob- 
ject with  men  of  a  bold 
and  adventurous  spirit, — 
and  if  we  trace  the  histo- 
ry of  the  world,  back  to 
the  remotest  periods,  even 
to  the  age  of  fable  and 
poetic  exaggeration,  we 
shall  find  many  memora- 
ble examples  of  those  dar- 
ing enterprises  which 
aimed  at  the  discovery  of 
lands  or  seas  the  very  ex- 
istence of  which  was  ques- 
tioned by  the  generality 
of  mankind.  The  re- 
nowned Argonautic  expe- 
dition was  probably  an  enterprise  of  this  kind,  though  the  real  objects 
and  events  of  that  undertaking  are  hidden  under  the  misty  veil  of 

(11) 


12 


sonntaq's  narrative  of  the  grinnell  expeditio:;. 


mythological  narration.  The  Phoenicians  wore  the  most  remarkable 
nation  of  antiquity  for  the  extent  of  their  maritime  researches,  and  the 
number  of  their  colonial  settlements.  But  the  enterprise  of  all  early 
voyagers  had  its  limits,  as  coasting  'as  the  only  kind  of  navigation  in 
"which  they  could  venture  with  lut  encountering  risks  which  were  too 
formidable  for  human  courage  to  undertake.  The  invention  of  the 
marinex''s  compass  was  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  in  nautical 
affairs,  as  it  enabled  navigators  to  dispense  with  the  land-marks 
which  had  hitherto  guided  them  through  the  trackless  deep,  and  to 
venture  boldly  through  seas  and  oceans  whicii  had  hitherto  been  deemed 
impassable.  The  splendid  achievements  of  Columbus,  Vespucius,  and 
Vasco  de  Gama,  were  among  the  earliest  results  of  this  grand  improve- 
ment in  the  art  of  navigation,  an  improvement  Avhich  was  soon  followed 
by  many  others  in  marine  architecture,  and  in  the  rigging  and  equip- 
ment of  ships,  the  construction  of  which  must  necessarily  be  modified 
to  suit  the  new  service  for  which  they  were  now  required.  The  ships 
of  earlier  times  were  mere  coasters,  not  at  all  adapted  to  the  navigation 
of  extensive  seas  or  vast  oceans,  which  now  presented  themselves  as 
practicable  fields  for  human  enterprise. 

After  the  discoveries  in  Oceanica,  by  Capt.  Cook  and  others,  the 
spirit  of  maritime  adventure  seemed,  for  a  time,  to  come  to  a  pause,  or 
we  may  say,  "for  lack  of  argument."  The  opinion  seemed  to  gain 
ground  that  very  little  more  was  left,  in  the  way  of  exploration,  for  sea- 
faring people  to  accomplish.  Navigators  were  tempted  to  sit  down  and 
weep,  like  Alexander  the  Great,  because  the  earth  could  afford  them 
no  other  islands  or  continents  to  explore.  Some  attention,  indeed,  was 
directed  to  the  Arctic  regions ;  but  the  bounds  of  exploration  in  that 
quarter  were  believed  to  be  well  defined  by  an  icy  barrier,  beyond 
which  the  enterprise  of  man  could  never  penetrate.  In  the  contemplation 
of  this  stupendous  obstacle  the  most  ardent  enthusiasm  became  chilled 
and  benumbed,  and  the  proverbially  reckless  spirit  of  the  sailor  was 
appalled.  There  was  a  feeling  of  romantic  and  almost  superstitious 
terror  connected  with  the  idea  of  sailing  to  a  locality  which  appeared 
to  be  beyond  the  limits  of  the  habitable  globe;  a  locality  the 
approaches  to  which  were  enclosed  by  portals  of  ice  more  repulsive 
than  gates  of  adamantine  rock ;  and  which,  if  once  passed,  might  be 
closed  again  on  the  too-daring  traveller,  shutting  him  forever  from  all 
intercourse  with  the  cheerful  world  without,  and  confining  him  in  the 
dreary  dominions  of  perpetual  winter,  without  any  prospect  of  release. 
Imagination  presented  the  frozen  corpses  of  preceding  adventurers  lying 
"  unknelled,  uncoflBned,  and  unknown,"  the  victims  of  their  own  reckless 


SONNTAG  S   NARRATIVE  OF  THE   ORIXXELL  EXPEDITION. 


13 


tho 


hardihood  in  having  dared  to  venture  beyond  those  limits  where  nature 
herself  assumed  an  aspect  of  terrible  menace,  seeming  to  declare — 
"thus  far  shalt  thou  go, and  no  farther."  To  disregard  this  proliibition 
seemed  to  be  almost  an  act  of  impiety,  and  many  persons  of  sober 
judgment  and  scientific  attainments  thought  that  tho  experiment  of 
Arctic  exploration  had  been  sufficiently  tried,  and  that  further  attempts 
of  the  kind  were  utterly  hopeless. 

As  early  as  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  ciforts  had  been 
made  by  navigators,  under  the  auspices  of  diifereut  European  powers, 
to  open  a  passage  to  China  and  the  East  Indies,  by  circumnavigating 
the  northern  coast  of  America.  In  the  year  1527,  the  idea  of  a 
passage  to  the  East  Indies  by  approaching  the  North  Pole,  was  suggested 
by  a  Bristol  merchant  to  Henry  VIII ;  but  it  appears  that  no  voyage 
wa.s  undertaken  for  the  purpose  of  navigating  the  circum-polar  seas 
until  the  commencement  of  the  following  century.  In  1G07,  an 
expedition,  having  this  object  in  view,  was  fitted  out  at  the  expense  of 
certain  London  merchants.  To  this  attempt  several  others  succeeded, 
at  different  periods  ;  but  although  they  were  w^ell  projected,  and  were 
carried  out  with  energy,  and  as  much  skill  and  science  as  the  times 
could  command,  in  every  instance  they  proved  total  failures  Avith 
regard  to  the  main  object  of  the  enterprise. 

At  length,  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  this 
interesting  object  obtained  the  royal  patronage  of  Great  Britain ;  and  in 
1773,  an  e\po'1ition  under  the  command  of  Captain  Phipps  was  pla  med 
and  equipped  by  the  British  Government.  Though  Captain  Phipps  found 
it  impossible  to  penetrate  that  vast  rampart  of  ice,  which  extended  for 
more  than  twenty  degrees  between  the  latitudes  of  60°  and  81°,  "  tho 
belief  of  most  scientific  men  of  the  age  in  the  possibility  of  proceeding 
further,  under  moi'c  favorable  circumstances,  remained  unshaken.  In 
1775-76,  the  i  on.  D.  Barrington,  an  English  lord,  published  a  book 
in  which  he  dicussed  the  possibility  of  approaching  the  North  Pole,  and 
notwithstand  ng  many  important  and  significant  facts  were  contained  in 
his  valuable  work,  he  was  ridiculed  by  the  most  of  his  countrymen  as 
an  idle  and  visionary  projector. 

In  1806,  a  certain  Captain  Symmes,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  produced  a 
treatise  on  the  Arctic  regions,  in  which  be  suggested  that  the  earth 
was  probably  hollow,  and  that  a  passage  might  be  found  somewhere 
beyond  the  Arctic  circle,  which  would  afford  the  means  of  entrance  to 
the  cavity  within.  He  offered  to  verify  his  theory  by  actual  experi- 
ment, to  be  made  by  himself,  and  expressed  his  willingness  to  stake  his 
life  and  fortune  on  the  result.     This  captain,  in  all   other  matters 


sonntaq's  narrative  op  the  grinnell  expedition. 


15 


conducted  himself  like  a  man  of  sormd  judgment,  and  his  theory,  singular 
and  startling  as  it  was,  obtained  considerable  credit  for  a  time,  both 
in  Europe  and  America.  Even  at  this  day, "  Symmes'  Hole"  is  not 
quite  forgotten,  though  the  captain's  theory  is  believed  by  scientific 
men  and  the  public  in  general  to  be  quite  as  hollow  as  the  earth  itself, 
according  to  his  representations.  The  Dutch  made  three  several 
voyages,  in  1594-5-6,  for  the  discovery  of  a  north-east  passage,  but 
were  equally  unsuccessful  as  the  English. 

All  these  efforts  were  made  abortive  by  the  icy  obstructions,  which 
arc  always  encountered  in  those  narrow  seas  which  lie  between  and 
contiguous  to  Baffin's  Bay  and  Behring's  Straits.  There  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  this  obstacle  will  always  exist,  causing  the  navi- 
gation of  these  waters  to  be  attended  with  great  peril  and  uncertainty, 
even  in  the  most  favorable  seasons.  This  consideration  goes  far  to 
preclude  all  hope  that  any  object  of  much  practical  utility  to  the  world 
can  be  accomplished  by  the  navigation  of  these  seas,  even  though  the 
regions  beyond  could  offer  the  strongest  inducements  to  commercial 
enterprise.  The  passage  recently  discovered  by  the  gallant  exertions 
of  Messrs.  McClure  and  Inglefield,  is  not  at  all  exempt  from  these 
difficulties,  and  the  chief  results  of  their  discovery,  made  with  so  much 
labor  and  peril,  are  the  solution  of  a  geographical  problem  and  a  more 
precise  knowledge  of  the  localities. 

During  a  period  of  forty  years,  the  most  strenuous  and  expensive 
exertions  were  made  for  the  attainment  of  the  grand  object  specified 
above.  The  English  were  the  principal  aspirants  for  the  glory  of  that 
discovery,  and  the  voyages  of  those  celebrated  British  navigators,  Ross, 
Perry  and  Franklin,  contributed  in  a  high  degree  to  elucidate  the 
geographical  position  of  the  northern  American  coast,  and  many  addi- 
tions were  made  by  the  exertions  of  these  brave  seamen  to  the  stores 
of  physical  science. 

So  much  has  been  said  and  written  on  the  subject  of  a  north-west 
passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  so  many  erroneous  notions 
have  been  afloat  concerning  it,  that  I  will  account  for  the  recent  revival 
of  the  attempts  to  discover  it. 

Among  the  changes  and  vicissitudes  to  which  the  physical  constitu- 
tion of  our  globe  is  perpetually  subject,  one  of  the  most  extraordinary, 
and  from  which  the  most  interesting  and  important  results  may  be 
anticipated,  appears  to  have  taken  place  in  the  course  of  the  last  ten  or 
fifteen  years,  and  is  still  in  progressive  operation.  The  convulsion  of  an 
earthquake  and  the  eruption  of  a  volcano  force  themselves  into  notice 
by  the  dismay  and  devastation  with  which,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 


10 


sonntag's  narrative  of  tiie  qrinnell  expedition. 


they  are  almost  always  attended ;  but  the  event  to  which  I  allude  has 
been  so  quietly  accomplished,  that  it  might  have  remained  unknown, 
but  for  the  extraordinary  change  which  a  few  intelligent  navigators 
remarked  in  the  Arctic  ice,  and  the  reports  of  the  unusual  quantities  of 
this  ice  observed  in  the  Atlantic ;  this  event  to  which  I  allude,  was 
the  disappearance  of  the  whole  or  greater  part  of  the  vast  barriers  of 
ice,  which  for  a  long  period  of  time,  perhaps,  was  supposed  to  have 
maintained  its  firm,  rooted  position  on  the  eastern  coast  of  old 
Greenland  ;  and  its  re-appearance  in  a  more  southerly  latitude,  where 
it  was  met  with,  as  was  attested  by  various  persons  worthy  of  credit, 
in  the  years  1815-16-17,  by  ships  coming  from  the  East  Indies  and 
America,  by  others  going  to  Halifax  and  Newfoundland,  and  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  Atlantic,  as  far  down  as  the  fortieth  parallel  of 
latitude.  Some  of  these  detached  masses  were  of  an  unusual  magnitude 
and  extent,  amounting  in  some  instances  to  whole  islands  of  ice,  of  such 
vast  dimensions  that  ships  were  impeded  by  them  for  many  days,  in 
their  voyages  ;  others  were  detached  icebergs,  from  a  hundred  to  a 
hundred  and  thirty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  several 
miles  in  circumference.  The  Halifax  Packet  reported  in  1845,  that  she 
had  passed'  a  mountain  of  ice  nearly  two  hundred  feet  high,  and  at  least 
two  miles  in  circumference ;  a  ship  belonging  to  the  old  Greenland 
Jlissions  was  eleven  days  beset  on  the  coast  of  Labrador  in  floes  of 
ice  mixed  with  icebergs,  many  of  which  had  huge  rocks  upon  them, 
gravel,  soil,  and  pieces  of  wood.  In  short,  every  account  from  various 
parts  of  North  America  agreed  in  stating,  that  larger  and  more 
numerous  fields  and  bergs  of  ice  had  been  seen  at  greater  distances 
from  their  usual  places  in  the  years  above  mentioned,  than  had  at  any 
time  before  been  witnessed  by  the  oldest  navigators.  The  fact,  therefore, 
might  be  considered  as  too  well  authenticated  to  admit  of  a  doubt ;  it 
■was  at  once  concluded  from  whence  the  greater  part  of  these  immense 
quantities  of  ice  were  derived.  In  a  letter  from  Mr.  Scoresby,  an 
intelligent  navigator  of  the  Greenland  seas,  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  he 
says:  "I  observed  on  my  last  voyage  (1817)  about  two  thousand 
square  leagues  (18,000  square  miles)  of  the  surface  of  the  Greenland 
seas,  included  between  the  parallels  of  74°  and  80°,  perfectly  void  of 
ice,  all  of  which  had  disappeared  within  the  last  two  years."  And  he 
farther  states,  "  that,  although  on  former  voyages  he  had  very  rarely 
been  able  to  penetrate  the  ice  between  the  latitudes  of  76°  and  80°,  so 
far  to  the  west  as  the  meridian  of  Greenwich,  on  his  last  voyage  he  twice 
reached  the  longitude  of  10°  west;  that  on  the  parallel  of  74°  he 
approached  the  coast  of  old  Greenland ;  that  there  was  little  ice  near 


I 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OF   THE  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


17 


SO 


the  land,"  and  ho  added,  that  "  there  could  he  no  doubt  that  he  might 
have  reached  the  shore,  had  he  but  a  justifiable  motive  for  navigating 
an  unknown  sea  at  so  late  a  season  of  the  year." 

This  account  was  fully  confirmed  by  intelligence  received  at 
Copenhagen,  from  Iceland,  in  the  year  1816,  that  the  ice  had  broken 
loose  from  the  opposite  coast  of  Greenland,  and  floated  away  to  the 
southward  after  surrounding  the  shores  of  Iceland,  and  filling  all  the 
bays  and  creeks  of  that  island ;  and  that  this  afflicting  visitation  was 
repeated  in  1817;  circumstances  hitherto  unknown  to  the  oldest 
inhabitant.  About  the  same  time  the  whale  ships  that  frequented  the 
fishery  in  Davis'  Straits,  and  the  Hudson  Bay  traders,  experienced  an 
unusual  number  of  icebergs,  and  large  floes  of  ice  drifting  to  the 
southward,  down  the  straits,  and  along  the  coasts  of  Labrador,  and  of 
Newfoundland.  Yet  as  to  a  certain  extent  those  masses  of  ice 
were  of  frequent  occurrence  in  these  quarters,  and  occasionally  met 
with  in  tho  Atlantic ;  it  was  those  from  the  eastward  that  attracted 
particular  notice.  Whatever  the  cause  may  have  been  for  the  disruption 
of  this  immense  barrier  of  ice  from  the  eastern  coast  of  Greenland, 
whether  by  its  own  weight,  after  centuries  of  accumulation,  or  from  the 
partial  disruption  of  the  coast  itself,  the  fact  is  unquestionable  that  the 
notoriety  of  it  given  in  the  several  journals  of  Europe,  and  more 
especially  in  those  of  England,  corroborated  by  various  private 
communications,  was  among  the  circumstances  which,  combined  with 
others,  gave  rise  to  the  revival  of  those  voyages  of  discovery  for 
attempting  a  passage  round  the  northern  coast  of  America  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  also  to  another  attempt  to  reach  the  North  Pole  by  proceeding 
between  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  now  freed  from  ice,  and  the  west 
coast  of  Spitzbergen,  generally  not  much  hampered  with  ice.  It  may 
be  observed  that  none  of  the  old  English  navigators  were  able  to 
penetrate  any  part  of  the  Polar  Sea,  all  their  discoveries  were  confined 
to  the  straits,  and  inlets,  and  islands,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  America, 
and  the  large  straits  of  Davis  and  Baffin,  on  the  western  coast  of 
Greenland.  Had  Baffin  entered  Lancaster  Sound  from  his  own  strait, 
he  would  at  once  have  discovered  the  sea  which  communicates  with  the 
Pacific,  and  then  there  is  no  saying  what  this  able  old  navigator  and  his 
contemporaries  might  not  have  efiected ;  indeed,  at  the  commencement  of 
Parry's,  Ross's,  Franklin's,  and  Inglefield's  voyages,  from  1818  down  to 
the  voyage  of  Captain  Back,  in  1835,  nothing  was  known  of  any  entrance 
into  the  Polar  Sea  from  the  other  side  of  America.  All  that  was  known 
on  the  first  attempt,  which  hardly  deserves  the  name,  was  that  the  Polar 
Sea  did  exist,  that  the  ships  of  Captain  Cook  had  looked  in  at  it  through 

2 


18 


sonntaq's  narrative  of  the  orinnell  expedition. 


Behring's  Straits,  and  that  Fearne  and  Mackenzie,  two  North  American 
travellers,  had  arrived  at  the  northern  shore  of  North  America,  at 
different  points  and  at  different  times,  and  reported,  somewhat  doubtfully, 
that  they  had  viewed  the  sea.  From  these  circumstances,  and  more  partic- 
ularly from  undoubted  authorities  it  Avas  quite  clear  that  a  current  was 
constantly  found  setting  down  Davis'  Strait,  and  the  Strait  of  Hudson's 
Bay,  and  also  along  the  shore  of  Spitzbergen,  all  to  the  southward ;  no 
doubt,  therefore,  could  remain  that  there  must  bo  a  water  communication 
between  the  seas  of  the  Pacific  and  the  northern  Atlantic,  that  the 
water  supplied  through  the  strait  of  Behring  (a  well-established  fact) 
into  the  Polar  Sea,  was  discharged  by  some  opening  or  other  yet  to  be 
discovered,  into  the  Atlantic. 

Many  scientific  men,  however,  turned  into  ridicule  the  idea  of  a 
polar  basin,  and  others  endeavored  to  show  that  if  these  currents 
existed,  they  must  be  very  temporary  or  occasional,  as  they  would 
otherwise  drain  this  polar  basin  of  its  water.  n 

It  may  be  worth  while,  now,  that  the  shores  of  this  Polar  Sea  have 
been  visited  and  surveyed,  one  part  by  English  navigators,  and  the 
Asiatic  part  by  the  indefatigable  Baron  Wrangle,  and  others,  to  show 
to  these  would-be-wise  gentlemen,  what  that  sea  really  is,  what  are  its 
inpourings,  its  outpourings,  and  its  dimensions.    Ift  the  first  place,  it  is 
an  immense  basin  of  water,  included  by  the  shores  of  Asia,  of  Europe, 
and  of  America ;  of  Asia  from  Nova  Zembla,  in  50°  east  longitude  to 
East  Cape  in  Behring's  Strait  in  170°  west  longitude ;  that  is,  140° 
extent  of  coast ;   in  Europe  from  Nova  Zembla  in  50°  east  longitude 
to  BaflSn's  bay  about  70°  west  longitude,  an  extent  of  coast  equal  to 
120° ;  and  in  America  from  the  last  point  70°  west  longitude  to  Cape 
Prince  of  Wales,  168°  west  longitude  in  Behring's  Strait,  an  extent  of 
coast  equal  to  100°.     These  including  the  opening  of  Behring's  Strait 
and  that  between  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen,  comprise  the  whole  circle 
of  360°,  an  extent  of  coast  which  no  other  detached  sea  in  the  world 
can  boast  of.     It  is  a  circle  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  geographical 
miles  in  diameter,  and  seven  thousand  two  hundred  in  circumference. 
Considering  the  latitude  of   70°  to  be  the  average  boundary  line, 
which  it  nearly  is,  by  taking  the  inlets  of  the  land,  to  balance  the 
outlets  of  the  sea,  and  in  order  to  satisfy  the  malcontents,  regarding 
the  currents  exhausting  its  waters,  it  may  perhaps  be  sufficient  to  state 
what  are  its  supplies ;  they  consist  of  the  constant  influx  of  a  stream 
through  Behring's  Straits,  of  five  or  six  great  rivers  from  Asia :  the  Obi, 
the  Jenisci,  the  Sena,  the  Indigiska,  and  the  Kolima ;   Europe  supplies 
the  waters  of  Dwina  with  numerous  streams  from  the  coasts  of  Norway 


sonxtaq's  narrative  of  the  grinnell  expedition. 


19 


line, 


and  Lapland,  and  the  eastern  coast  of  Greenland  and  the  western  coast  of 
Baffin's  Bay ;  and  America  pours  in  several  copious  streams  from  the 
llocky  Mountains  with  the  Mackenzie,  the  llearne  or  the  Copper  Mine, 
the  Bock,  and  several  other  minor  streams.  To  talk,  therefore,  of  its 
being  exhausted  by  the  southerly  currents,  is  absolute  nonsense. 

The  main  object  of  the  English  expedition  in  1827  was,  to  discover 
an  entrance  from  the  eastern  side  of  America  into  the  Polar  Sea.  But 
it  was  not  done  by  the  first  as  it  ought  to  have  been  done,  and  as  the 
second  (1835)  most  readily  accomplished  it,  and,  moreover,  navigated 
one  half  of  that  sea  to  the  westward,  why  then  it  may  be  asked,  have 
future  attempts  failed  to  navigate  the  other  half?  The  answer  is  easy 
enough ;  they  failed  by  deserting  the  direct  path  that  gave  them  half 
the  passage  towards  Behi'ing's  Strait,  and  tried  various  new  ways  in 
search  of  openings  into  the  Polar  Sea,  and  found  but  one  other  on  the 
whole  eastern  coast  of  America,  and  that  one  not  navigable ;  the  old 
route  of  Captain  Parry  through  Lancaster  Sound  and  Barrows  Strait,  as 
far  as  to  the  last  land  on  its  southern  shore,  and  thence  in  a  direct  line  to 
Behring's  Strait,  was  the  route  ordered  to  be  pursued  by  Sir  John 
Franklin,  in  his  last  and  fatal  voyage. 

The  unhappy  fate  of  Franklin,  which  for  a  time  was  involved  in  pro- 
found mystery,  did  not  deter  others  from  following  in  his  dangerous 
track.  On  the  contrary,  a  feeling  of  enthusiasm  was  awakened  in  his 
behalf  and  that  of  his  sorrowing  and  devoted  consort,  whose  untiring 
exertions  to  save  him  from  protracted  suffering,  or  a  hon*ible  death, 
excited  the  sympathy  of  all  Europe  and  America.  Thin  feeling  stimu- 
lated nautical  adventurers  to  that  activity  which  has  characterized  the 
recent  explorations  of  the  Polar  seas. 

Captain  Sir  John  Franklin,  K.  C.  B.,  made  several  daring  expeditions 
to  the  Polar  Sea,  but  his  endeavors  to  make  further  discoveries  were 
only  partially  successful.  His  sufferings  and  hair-breadth  escapes  would 
have  daunted  almost  any  other  man  and  deterred  him  from  making  other 
attempts  of  the  same  kind.  But  in  1825-26-27  we  find  Franklin  again 
on  a  perilous  journey  to  the  polar  climes.  On  this  occasion  he  pro- 
ceeded over  land  to  the  mouth  of  Mackenzie  River,  and  from  thence,  by 
water,  to  the  northwestern  extremity  of  the  American  continent.  The 
particular  object  of  this  expedition  was  the  exploration  of  the  coast 
between  Mackenzie  and  Copper  Mine  rivers. 

In  this  undertaking,  Franklin  started  from  Liverpool,  February  6th, 
1825,  and  arrived  at  New  York  on  the  15th  day  of  March  following. 
His  reception  in  the  last-named  city  was  extremely  cordial  and 
flattering.     Invitations  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  various  scientific 


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SONNTAU'S  NARRATIVE  OF   THE  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


21 


inatitutions  were  sent  to  him  and  his  party,  and  every  other  mark  of 
respectful  attention  was  shown  by  the  civil  and  naval  authorities,  as  well 
as  by  private  individuals ;  all  of  which  demonstrations  were  indicative 
of  the  lively  interest,  which  the  Americans  took  in  his  enterprise. 
From  New  York  city  Captain  Franklin  and  his  party  proceeded  up 
the  Hudson  River  to  Albany,  and  from  thence  again  to  Niagara  Falls, 
where  they  remained  several  days.  Afterwards  they  proceeded  to  Lake 
Huron,  where  they  embarked  in  canoes,  and  followed  the  water  commu- 
nications to  the  western  side  of  the  Great  Bear  Lake,  where  he  fixed  his 
winter  quarters.  In  the  Spring  of  1826,  Captain  Franklin  pursued  his 
way  down  Mackenzie  River  to  the  open  Polar  Sea.  In  December,  1827, 
the  party,  after  undergoing  unspeakable  hardships,  returned  to  England, 
where  they  arrived  in  safety ;  but  from  his  next  Arctic  voyage.  Captain 
Franklin  never  returned. 


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SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


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SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OF  THE  QRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


In  1836-7,  Captain  Back  of  tlio  English  Navy,  was  sent  on  a  voyage 
of  discovery  to  the  Arctic  shores.  lie  cominandcJ  the  ship  Terror, 
which  had  been  chosen  for  tliis  purpose,  lie  made  several  important 
discoveries  and  having  accompliahod  his  perilous  voyage  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  government  which  employed  him,  he  returned  in  safety  to 
his  native  country. 

In  1845,  Sir  John  Franklin,  notwithstanding  his  painful  experience 
in  Arctic  navigation,  incredible  sufferings,  and  miraculous  escapes 
from  death,  was  induced  once  more  to  take  command  of  a  polar  expe- 
dition. His  sub-^eciuent  adventures  are  not  matters  of  history  but  of 
conjecture  only  ;  and,  until  very  lately,  the  world  was  in  doubt  whether 
he  had  ceased  to  exist  or  was  still  enduring  a  living  death  In  some  icy 
prison  of  the  far  North.  In  his  final  expedition,  Franklin  commanded 
the  ship,"?  Terror  and  Erebus,  the  crews  of  both  vessels  amounting  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  men,  officered  and  manned  as  follows : 


EREBUS. 

Sir  John  Franklin,  Captain. 

Jas.  Fitz  James,  Comman(!er. 

Graham  Gore,  Lieutenant. 

J.  D.  LeVesconte,     " 

Jas.  Wm.  Fairiiolme,  " 

Chas.  F.  DesVaux,  Mate. 

RoBT.  0.  Sargent,   " 

E.  Coucii,  " 

H.  F.  Collins,  Second  Master. 

Stephen  F.  Stanley,  Surgeon. 

H.  D.  GooDSiR,  Assist.      " 

Jas.  Reed,  Ice  Master. 

12  Warrant  and  Petty  Officers 

68  Seamen  and  Marines. 


TERROR. 

Richard  Crozier,  Captain. 
Edward  Little,  Lieutenant. 
Geo.  H.  Hodgson,      '• 
John  Irvino,  " 

F.  Harnly,  Mate. 
Robt.  Thomas,  " 

Thos.  Bla.nky,  Ice  Piaster. 

G.  A.  Maclean,  2d  Ice  Master. 
Jno.  S.  Peddie,  Surgeon. 
Alex.  McDonald,  Assistant. 

J.  H.  Helpman,  Clerk  in  Charge. 
11  Warrant  and  Petty  Ofiicers. 

67  Seamen  and  Marines. 

68  Total. 


Captain  Franklin  was  required,  by  his  instructions,  in  the  first  place-, 
to  attempt  a  passage  by  Lancaster  Sound,  and  any  channel  leading 
therefrom  in  the  desired  direction.  The  only  intelligence  of  the 
Expedition  ever  received  was  in  the  first  summer  after  its  departure. 
When  the  want  of  further  accounts  from  the  exploring  party  began  to 
produce  a  feeling  of  anxiety  in  England,  a  search  was  commenced  by 
expeditions  foUoAving  on  Franklin's  supposed  route,  and  others,  entering 


80NNTAU  S   NARRATIVE  OF   THE  UUINNELL  EXPEDITIOX. 


23 


I 

f 

i 


Behrin«»'8  Straits  with  the  liipc  of  meeting  him.  Laud-journeys  wore 
also  undertaken  for  the  same  ol^j'''^  Most  of  these  ontorj>riHe.s  wore 
planned  and  sot  on  foot  by  Lady  Franklin,  the  exemplary  wifo  of  tho 


LADY  FRANKLIN. 


missing  traveller.  At  the  solicitation  of  this  meritorious  lady,  the 
American  Government  accepted  a  generous  offer  made  by  Mr.  Henry 
Grinnell,  a  merchant  of  New  York,  who  proposed  to  furnish  two 
brigantinos  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  out  an  expedition  for  the  relief  of 
Captain  Franklin.  All  the  preparations  having  been  completed,  this 
first  American  expedition  to  the  Arctic  seas  sailed  from  New  York  in 
May,  1850,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  E.  J.  DeHaven,  of  the 
United  States  Navy. 

The  American  public  need  scarcely  be  reminded  that  this  expedition, 
in  company  with  that  commanded  by  Captain  Penny,  discovered  the 
first  traces  of  Captain  Franklin's  party ;  these  traces,  however,  were 


24 


sonntag's  narrative  of  tue  guinnell  expedition. 


'M 


;  i 


very  melancholy  and  unsatisfactory,  consisting  of  three  graves  with 
tombstones,  the  remains  of  several  rude  Imts,  and  a  wooden  pillar 
bearing  an  inscription,  which  unfortunately  gave  no  information 
respecting  the  route  which  the  party  intended  to  take.  These 
mementoes  merely  indicated  that  Franklin  had  established  his  winter- 
quarters  on  that  spot.  The  place  was  Bcechy  Island,  which  had  been 
previously  discovered  by  Captain  Parry.  It  was  a  subject  of  much 
regret  that  no  record  of  Franklin's  intended  movements  was  found,  as 
that  would  have  furnished  a  clue  for  the  subsequent  search.  These 
discoveries,  therefore,  only  intensified  the  anxious  desire  to  learn  more 
of  the  mysterious  fate  of  the  distinguished  commander. 

The  Senior  Surgeon  of  Lieutenant  De  Haven's  expedition,  Dr.  Kane, 
returned  to  the  United  States  with  a  determination  that  soraethini:  more 
should  be  done  to  restore  Captain  Franklin  and  his  surviving  followers 
to  the  world ;  hopes  being  still  entertained  that  some  of  the  party,  at 
least,  might  have  lived  through  the  terrific  dangers,  hardships  and 
privations  which  they  must  have  encountered  and  endured.  Dr.  Kane 
had  adopted  the  opinion  which  was  commonly  held  in  England  by 
persons  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  attending  Arctic  navigation, 
viz:  that  Sir  John, after  leaving Beechy  Island, had  penetrated  through 
Wellington  Channel  in  a  northern  direction.  This  opinion  was  founded 
on  observations  which  were  made  on  the  state  and  position  of  the  ice, 
as  reported  by  those  who  had  discovered  the  traces  of  Franklin's 
expedition.  In  pursuance  of  the  plan  of  search  which  had  been 
devised  by  Dr.  Kane  and  other  scientific  men,  assisted  by  the  counsel 
of  experienced  navigators  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  a  second 
American  expedition  was  determined  on.  It  was  to  be  conducted  under 
the  auspices  of  the  United  States  Government,  and  was  placed  under 
the  command  of  Dr.  Kane,  who  had  been  detailed  for  that  service  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 


ice. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CAPTAIN   Kane's   expedition   starts   from   new  york — affecting 

SCENES  AT  ITS  DEPARTURE — ARRIVAL  AT  ST.  JOHNS — TUE  TRIBULA- 
TIONS OF  THE  ADVENTURERS  BEGIN  EARLY — TUE  EXPEDITION  REACHES 
GREENLAND — MODES  OF  LIVING  OF  THE  ESQUIMAUX — VISIT  TO  THE 
DANISH  SETTLEMENT — FREQUENT  AND  TERRIFIC  APPEARANCE  OP  ICE- 
BERGS— HOW   THEY  ARE    FORMED,  ETC. 

The  new  expedition  to  which  reference  was  made  at  the  close  of  the 
last  chapter,  was  the  result  of  private  enterprise,  and  was  fitted  out  at 
the  expense  of  several  wealthy  and  munificent  citizens  of  the  United 
States.  The  American  Government  merely  extended  its  patronage  and 
protection  to  the  glorious  object,  by  providing  such  scientific  instruments 
as  the  undertaking  required,  and  designated  some  persons  under  naval 
appointments,  viz: 

THE  BRIG  "i  DVANCE." 


Dr.  E.  K.  Kane,  Commander. 
Henry  Brooks,  Ist  Officer. 
August  Sonntag,  Aetronomer. 
George  Riley. 
James  McGarry. 
Henry  Goodfellow. 
John  W.  Wilson. 
C.  Ohlsen. 
Wm.  Morton. 


Isaac  J.  Hays,  M.  D.,  Surgeon. 

Amos  Bonsall. 

George  Stephenson. 

George.  Whipple. 

Wm.  Godfrey. 

John  Blake. 

Jefferson  Baker. 

Peter  Schubert. 

Thomas  Hickey. 


In  several  particulars,  the  plan  of  the  new  expedition  differed  from 
any  which  had  been  attempted  before.  It  was  assumed  theoretically 
that  there  existed  an  open  or  navigable  sea  on  the  north  of  the  80th 
parallel  of  latitude.  The  term  open  sea  was  understood  to  designate 
one  which  was  so  far  unembarrassed  with  ice  as  to  be  navigable  in  the 
summer  season.  It  was  proposed  to  roach  this  sea,  (if  such  a  sea  co\ild 
be  found)  by  that  route  which  was  apparently  the  most  direct,  that  is  to 
say,  via  Smith's  Sound ;  and  to  descend  for  the  proposed  search,  to 

(26) 


ffll 


xn 


o 

OQ 


m 


;i 


sonntaq's  narrative  of  the  grinnell  expedition. 


27 


the  southern  and  western  shores.  The  search  was  to  be  extended  from 
the  station  of  the  ship  by  means  of  dog  sledges,  parties  being  sent 
out  in  various  directions  to  establish  depots  of  provisions  in  advance  of 
the  parties  employed  in  the  search. 

We  left  New  York  on  the  last  day  of  May,  1853,  amidst  the  acclar 
mations  of  thousands  of  spectators,  who  had  assembled  on  the  wharves 
to  witness  our  departure.  It  was  a  radiant  spi'ing  morning,  the  aspect 
of  nature  was  cheerful  and  composed,  but  there  was  many  a  sad  and 
ao'onized  heart  among  the  friends  and  relations  of  the  voyagers,  and 
the  leave-taking  was  such  as  intimated  that  many  fond  parents,  wives, 
brothers  and  sisters,  feared  that  the  parting  would  be  forever.  Many 
persons,  at  that  time,  regarded  such  a  voyage  as  a  desperate  undertaking, 
and  looked  on  the  officers  and  crevf  of  the  Advance  as  persons  self- 
doomed  to  certain  destruction.  They  were,  therefore,  objects  of  general 
admiration  and  pity ;  the  noble  and  benevolent  cause  for  which  they 
sacrificed  themselves  consecrated  the  rash  and  suicidal  deed ;  and  thus, 
accoi'ding  to  the  fancy  of  many  spectators,  the  humblest  sailor  who 
walked  the  deck  of  that  ship  appeared  to  wear  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 

But  the  expeditionists  themselves  were  of  a  different  temperament, 
otherwise  they  never  would  have  offered  themselves  for  such  a  service. 
The  frowning  genius  of  the  icy  ocean  had  no  terror  for  them,  but  seemed 
to  hold  out  wreaths  of  glory  and  renown  for  their  acceptance.  Accord- 
ingly they  commenced  their  voyage  with  something  like  rapturous 
enthusiasm,  which  was  scarcely  checked  by  the  loud  and  despairing 
lamentations  of  the  dearest  objects  of  their  affection.  In  some  cases 
the  love  of  distinction  appears  to  be  the  strongest  passion  of  the  human 
soul. 

At  the  very  outset,  however,  the  crew  of  the  Advance  had  a 
foretaste  of  the  troubles  which  awaited  them.  The  passage  to  St. 
Johns,  in  consequence  of  unfavorable  weather  and  other  causes,  was 
unusually  tedious.  We  stopped  at  this  port  two  days,  and  obtained 
nine  dogs  of  the  kind  which  is  used  in  Newfoundland,  Labrador  and 
other  northern  climates,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  burdens  on  the 
snow.  All  the  fresh  meat  which  could  be  obtained  at  St.  Johns  was 
bought  for  the  purpose  of  "marling,"  a  preservative  process  which 
consists  in  rubbing  the  outside  with  salt  and  enclosing  the  pieces  in 
hoods  of  canvas.  The  authorities  of  St.  Johns  showed  all  possible 
kindness  and  attention  to  the  persons  engaged  in  the  expedition,  and  I 
rejoice  in  this  opportunity  to  offer  them  my  grateful  acknowledgements 
for  their  generous  hospitality,  and  the  assistance  they  rendered  us  in 
making  preparations  for  our  subsequent  travels. 


m 

a 

m 


m 


fl; 


28 


sonntaq's  narrative  op  the  qrinnell  expedition. 


I  J 

i 


From  St.  Johns  we  proceeded  to  the  coast  of  Greenland,  where  we 
entered  several  Danish  settlements,  which  extend  at  intervals  between 
latitudes  60°  and  73°.  These  are  a  kind  of  missionary  establishments, 
intended  in  some  measure  for  the  instruction  of  the  natives,  but  serving 
at  the  same  time  to  carry  on  a  profitable  trade  in  furs  and  oil.  These 
settlements  are  under  the  charge  of  a  Danish  officer,  who  is  called  "  the 
merchant,"  and  who  exercises  the  somewhat  complicated  duties  of  store- 
keeper and  governor.  The  storehouse  under  his  superintendence  is 
replenished  at  the  annual  visit  of  a  ship  sent  from  Denmark  for  this 
purpose.  His  Excellency,  (if  we  may  afford  him  that  title,)  buys  from 
the  Esquimaux  the  skins  of  seals  and  reindeer,  and  the  blubber  of 
whales,  sea  unicorns,  &c.,  for  which  he  gives  them  in  exchange  bread, 
coffee,  butter,  salt,  and  pork,  which  are  almost  the  only  articles  of  food 
these  people  obtain  by  commerce.  The  gubernatorial  storekeeper 
supplies  them,  likewise,  with  coarse  cloth,  linens,  and  gaudy  calicoes, 
for  the  fashionable  Esquimaux  ladies,  who  are  desirous  of  improving  on 
the  seal-skin  dresses  of  preceding  generations.  The  storehouse  is 
similar  in  appearance  to  one  of  the  large  country  stores  of  the  United 
States.  The  habitations  of  the  Esquimaux  themselves  are  small  huts 
of  wood  or  stone,  the  seams  of  which  are  stopped  with  clay  and  moss, 
and  the  roofs  are  commonly  covered  with  painted  canvas.  The  floors 
are  of  wood,  and,  taken  altogether,  these  savage  dwellings  are  superior 
to  the  abodes  of  the  Irish  peasantry,  and  to  those  of  the  corresponding 
classes  in  many  countries  which  pretend  to  civilization.  The  Esqui- 
maux hut,  however,  seldom  has  more  than  one  apartment,  and  that 
single  room  often  affords  shelter  and  lodging  for  half  a  dozen  married 
couples,  with  their  numerous  progeny.  These  small  housbo  are 
extremely  well  lighted,  one  cortUck,  or  lamp,  of  blubber,  being  sufficient 
for  that  purpose.  Some  of  the  conservative  Esquimaux,  who  are  obsti- 
nately attached  to  the  customs  of  their  ancestors,  warm  their  rooms  with 
a  kind  of  large  blubber  lamp,  contrived  for  the  purpose ;  but  others  who 
are  more  progressive  use  stoves,  some  of  which  are  made  of  clay,  after 
the  Russian  fashion.  Those  of  the  Greenlanders,  who  aspire  to  be  of  a 
more  refined  and  superior  order,  are  supplied  with  pots,  pans,  and  other 
cooking  utensils  of  cast  iron,  which  are  furnished  to  them  by  the  mer- 
cantile Governor. 

At  Fiskenaes,  where  the  expedition  was  received  with  great  hospi- 
tality and  enthusiasm,  we  obtained  the  services  of  an  Esquimaux  youth, 
aged  about  twenty  years,  who  afterwards  became  very  useful  as  a 
hunter  and  driver  of  the  canine  teams,  to  which  duty  he  had  been  well 
accustomed.    This  settlement  occupies  a  spot  which  is  picturesquely 


V 


4 


SONNTAQ*S  NARRATIVE  OF  THE   GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


29 


secluded  behind  some  hilly  islands,  •which  partly  obstruct  the  view  of 
the  village,  without  concealing  it.  These  islands  afford  an  excellent 
harbor.  The  settlement  derives  its  Danish  name  from  the  abundance 
of  codfish  found  in  the  adjacent  Avaters.  A  large  fleet  of  Kyaeken 
surrounded  the  Advance  on  her  arrival  and  escorted  her  into  the  har- 
bor. The  native  ladies,  themselves,  resolved  to  take  their  part  in 
this  grand  reception,  for  they  came  out  to  meet  us  in  their  omeaks  or 
little  vessels,  made  expressly  for  the  use  of  their  delicate  sex,  being 
constructed  of  transparent  skins  stretched  over  wooden  frames.  The 
Greenland  naiads  can  manage  these  "  fairy  frigates"  with  surprising  skill, 
and  their  nautical  abilities  so  charmed  the  hearts  of  some  of  our 
sailors,  that  they  were  received  on  board  with  much  cordiality,  and 
banquetted  on  the  fore-deck  with  the  most  sumptuous  fare  that  Jack's 
aquatic  larder  could  afford  them. 

Fiskenaes  drives  a  considerable  trade  in  eider  down,  seal  skins,  cod 
fish,  and  salmon.  The  Governor,  Mr.  Lassen,  who  resides  at  this  spot, 
is  an  intelligent  and  polite  gentleman,  with  a  portly  person  and  ruddy 
countenance.  His  large  pipe  was  in  such  incessant  use,  that  it  appeared 
to  be  a  part  of  himself.  He  looked  the  very  picture  of  Scandinavian 
hospitality,  and  he  gave  us  a  welcome  that  deserves  to  be  com- 
memorated, spreading  for  us  a  board  which  groaned  under  all  the 
oleaginous  luxuries  of  the  climate,  and  many  imported  ones,  besides. 
The  native  delicacies  of  Mr.  Lassen's  table,  the  flesh  of  the  seal,  rein- 
deer, &c.,  were  improved  by  the  arts  of  European  cookery,  so  as  to 
make  them  highly  grateful  to  civilized  palates,  and  especially  so  to 
sailors,  whose  privations  on  shipboard  are  apt  to  correct  their  gastrono- 
mic tastes,  when  they  happen  to  be  too  epicurian  in  their  tendency. 

The  next  port  we  made  was  Suckertopper,  which  derives  its  name 
from  a  high  peak  in  its  vicinity,  which  is  so  called  from  its  imagined 
resemblance  to  a  sugar-loaf,  Avith  the  white  top  protruding  from  its  dark 
envelope.  Suckertopper,  in  the  Danish  language,  signifies  "  sugar- 
top."  At  this  place  avc  procured  a  quantity  of  seal-skins  and  other 
furs,  also  some  additional  saws,  axes,  and  other  tools,  which  we  thought 
might  be  required  in  our  further  progress. 

From  Suckertopper  we  proceeded  to  Proven,  where  we  had  the  good 
fortune  to  obtain  several  more  teams  of  dogs,  numbering  about  thirty 
of  these  useful  quadrupeds.  Mr.  Karl  Petersen,  who  had  been  engaged 
as  interpreter  to  Penny's  expedition,  came  on  board  at  Upenavick,  where 
the  Advance  stood  off  and  on  to  communicate.  Dr.  Kane  accepted  the 
proffered  services  of  Mr.  Petersen,  and  he  became  one  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany.   His  services  were  eminently  useful  to  us  afterwards. 


H 


m 
^''i"*^ 


ih 


80 


sonxtaq's  narrative  of  tue  qrinnell  expedition. 


(  : 


"I:    L 


'•■t 


Soon  after  wc  left  Upcnavick,  (which  ia  the  most  northern  civilized 
station  on  the  face  of  the  globe),  among  other  indications  of  a  higher  lati- 
tude, which  presented  themselves,  was  the  increased  number  of  icebergs. 
The  appearance  of  these  was  now  so  frequent,  that  they  ceased  to  be 
matters  of  curiosity,  and  wo  learned  to  look  on  these  stupendous  and 
dangerous  objects  with  a  degree  of  indifiference.  Imagine  a  mass  of 
congealed  water,  far  exceeding  in  its  dimensions  the  largest  Egyptian 
pyramid,  looming  up  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  higher  than  the 
tallest  steeple,  threatening,  every  moment,  to  topple  over  and  submerge 
every  object  in  its  neighborhood.  Such  floating  mountains  of  ice  are 
continually  presenting  themselves  to  the  view  of  those  who  undertake  to 
navigate  Baffin's  Bay.  They  often  enclose  huge  pieces  of  rock,  and 
masses  of  sand  or  earth,  which  they  take  up,  in  the  manner  we  are 
about  to  describe. 

The  interior  of  Greenland  may  be  considered  as  almost  one  entire 
mass  of  ice,  as  it  is  only  on  the  mountains  near  the  coast  and  on  the 
smaller  islands  that  the  earth,  with  any  of  its  vegetable  productions, 
is  visible.  Immense  processes  of  ice  fill  up  the  valleys  and  extend  to 
the  sea.  The  huge  masses  of  ice  resemble  those  of  the  Alpine  glaciers, 
not  such  ice  as  that  which  is  formed  by  the  freezing  of  pure  limpid  water, 
but  more  like  snow,  which  is  congealed  to  a  solid  substance  after 
being  partially  melted.  It  is  opaque  and  granular,  and  has  a  slow 
motion,  in  those  vast  frozen  valleys,  towards  the  sea.  According  to 
Professor  Forbes'  theory,  their  motion  is  similar  to  that  of  a  semifluid, 
and  is  produced  by  the  gravitation  of  the  whole  body  on  a  plane 
inrlincd  towards  the  sea  shore,  the  foremost  masses  being  urged  on  by 
the  pressure  of  those  which  are  more  remote  from  the  sea  coast  and 
higher  up  in  the  valleys.  According  to  the  observations  of  Professor 
Forbes,  and  the  reports  of  travellers  among  the  Alps,  the  ice  moves 
more  slowly  on  both  sides  than  in  the  centre  of  the  glacier,  where  the 
velocity  amounts  sometimes  to  a  foot  per  diem,  and  sometimes  still  more. 
On  its  edges,  the  glacier  takes  up  and  carries  along  rocks,  sand,  and 
other  movable  objects,  which  fall  into  the  sluggish  stream,  or  are 
•washed  down  from  the  surrounding  mountains. 

When  two  such  ice  streams  meet  together  and  become  united,  the 
stones,  sand,  &c.,  which  they  hold  in  suspension,  app^a.  in  the  middle 
of  the  united  streams.  These  ice-curi'cnts  form  continued  lines,  lonci. 
tudinally  and  parallel  to  the  sides  of  the  valleys  in  which  they  have 
their  origin.  At  the  point  where  the  glacier  enters  the  sea,  huge 
masses  are  formed,  tlie  pressure  from  behind  heaping  up  the  ice  which 
has  alrcadv  entered  the  water,  in  vast  piles.    Thus  the  icebergs  are 


I 


BONNTAa'S   NARRATIVil  OF   THE   QRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


31 


formed,  and  are  driven  by  the  winds  and  the  currents  out  from  tho 
shore.  In  this  way  they  are  set  afloat  in  the  northern  seas  ;  sometimes 
to  a  great  distance.  Large  bergs  are  often  seen  as  far  fjouth  as  the 
Banks  of  Newfoundland. 

The  appearance  of  many  icebergs  is  grand  and  magnificent  beyond 
all  power  of  description.  Their  size  alone  would  make  them  objects  of 
admiration ;  but  in  other  respects  they  are  calculated  to  overwhelm  tho 
spectator  with  awe  and  astonishment.  Some  of  them  appear  like  float- 
ing palaces,  castles,  or  towers  of  stupendous  dimensions,  with  spires, 
domes,  or  minarets,  often  formed  with  such  regularity  that  the  beholder 
is  almost  persuaded  that  they  are  works  of  art.  Often  when  they  re- 
flect tho  beams  of  tho  sun,  or  the  more  lurid  glare  of  the  aurora  bore- 
alis,  they  appear  like  immense  structures  of  glass  or  crystal.  The 
colors  of  icebergs  are  various;  tho  majority  of  them  are  white  or 
vitreous  in  appearance ;  but  when  seen  on  the  shady  side,  or  at  a  dis- 
tance, or  through  mists  or  fogs,  they  wear  a  dark  and  frowning  aspect, 
resembling  mountains  on  the  shore,  or  precipices  of  rock.  Sometimes 
again,  their  colors  are  variegated,  and  I  have  occasionally  seen  some 
which  had  all  the  hues  of  the  rainbow,  and  no  imagination  could  picture 
a  more  splendid  spectacle. 

The  motions  or  evolutions  of  icebergs  are  often  no  less  awe-inspiring 
and  wonderful.  When  some  portions  of  them  are  melted  away,  and 
their  form  is  thereby  changed,  so  as  to  remove  the  centre  of  gravity, 
large  masses  often  break  off  with  a  detonation  like  the  explosion  of  an 
immense  mine  of  gunpowder ;  the  disrupted  mass  falling  into  the  sea, 
produces  a  savoII  and  agitation  of  the  waters,  which  threaten  to  engulf 
ships  sailing  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  dismembered  iceberg. 
Sometimes  the  whole  berg  whirls  over  with  the  rapidity  of  lightninnf, 
and  occasionally  it  makes  s  eral  revolutions  before  it  settles  in  a  new 
position.  These  movements  of  icebergs  constitute  some  of  the  most 
appalling  dangers  of  Arctic  navigation.  It  will  easily  bo  believed 
from  what  is  here  stated,  that  the  approach  of  an  iceberg  is  always  re- 
garded by  mariners  with  feelings  of  intense  anxiety,  and  much  care  is 
taken  to  give  these  marine  prodigies  what  sailors  call  "  a  wide  berth." 
The  principal  risk  is  that  of  running  against  them  on  a  dark  night. 


m 


•■'iS 


m 


■'"''''I 

m 


rk 


CHAPTER  III. 


FURTHER  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  DIFFICULTIES  OF  ARCTIC  NAVIGATION — 
"floes"  and  "UUMMOCKS"  OF  ICE  DESCRII3EI) — SHIPS  DUILT  EX- 
PRESSLY FOR  NAVIGATING  THE  POLAR  SEAS — PREPARATIONS  FOR  PASS- 
ING THE  WINTER  AMONG  THE  ICE — WE  LEOIN  TO  EXPERIENCE  ALL  THE 
HORRORS   OF  THE   CLIMATE — GREAT   MORTALITY  AMONG   THE   DOGS. 


In  the  summer  season,  pools  of  water  are  formed  in  pure  marble-like 
basins,  on  the  top  of  the  icebergs,  and  cascades  of  clear  and  brilliant 
water  often  fall  from  them  into  the  sea.  Similar  cascades  and  streams 
percolate  through  the  glaciers.  Owing  to  this  cause,  the  surface  of  the 
glacier  is  very  rough,  being  full  of  small  chasms  or  indentations  formed 
by  the  passage  of  the  rivulets. 

I  have  stated  that  icebergs  are  often  objects  of  dismay  to  the  navi- 
gators of  those  seas ;  but  after  the  mariner  has  become  accustomed  to 
their  appearance,  much  of  his  terror  is  dissipated.  While  the  bergs 
are  visible,  they  may  generally  be  avoided  with  but  little  trouble ;  but 
in  the  dark  season,  or  when  the  weather  is  foggy,  the  danger  becomes 
more  imminent.  It  is  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  there  is  day-light 
during  almost  the  whole  of  the  navigable  season  on  those  waters. 

Still  more  formidable  obstacles  to  navigation  in  those  seas  are  the 
immense  fields  of  floating  ice  which  are  formed  in  the  sea  itself.  There 
are  narrow  passes  or  openings  through  these  fields,  called  leads,  in  the 
technical  language  of  the  sailors,  through  which  the  navigator  must 
penetrate,  with  the  momentary  risk  of  having  his  bark  crushed  between 
the  sides  of  the  icy  chasm.  These  sides  often  collapse,  or  come 
together  with  a  force  more  tremendous  and  irresistible  than  that  of  a 
tornado  or  earthquake.  On  such  occasions,  vessels  built  in  the  ordi- 
nary manner  would  be  crushed  like  empty  egg-shells.  Some  ships, 
however,  are  constructed  expressly  for  this  service,  in  the  manner 
which  I  shall  describe  hereafter. 

The  whalers  and  other  northern  navigators,  when  they  do  not  find  a 
"bight"  or  indentation  in  one  of  the  parallel  fields  of  ice,  or  floes,  (as 

8  (33) 


I 


I   I 


hi; 


ihi . 


34 


SONXTAG  S  NARRATIVE  OF   TIIK   QUINXJiLL  EXPlvDrriON, 


they  are  technically  called,)  endeavor  to  saw  one ;  but,  unless  this  is 
done  before  the  motion  commences,  it  is  too  late,  and  a  fearful  catas- 
trophc  is  inevitable.  In  many  cases,  ships  have  been  cut  in  two  by  the 
collapse  of  the  fissure,  so  that  the  upper  part  of  the  hull  was  left  on 
the  surface  of  the  ice,  while  the  lower  part  went  to  the  bottom.  Some- 
times the  destruction  of  a  vessel  is  instantaneous,  not  affording  the 
crew  sufficient  time  to  escape,  by  precipitating  themselves  on  the  neigh- 
boring ice-fields.  It  is  authentically  stated  that  Captain  Penny,  the 
veteran  Arctic  sailor,  on  one  of  these  perilous  occasions,  was  obliged 
to  run  up  the  rigging  to  the  cross-trees,  and  to  leap  from  thence  to  a 
platform  of  ice,  a  feat  which  ho  was  just  able  to  accomplish  as  the 
mast,  with  all  the  i'cst  of  the  ship,  disappeared  in  the  closing  chasm. 

These  dangers  have  produced  a  necessity  for  constructing  ships 
which  are  intended  for  Arctic  voyages  on  a  new  and  'inproved  ]ilan. 
The  hull  is  formed  with  many  additional  beams  and  timbers,  so  as 
greatly  to  increase  its  solidity,  and  the  sides  are  so  shaped  that,  instead 
of  being  held  fast  by  the  collapse  of  the  ice-crevico,  the  vessel  is 
forced  upward  until  it  rises  above  the  sxxrface  of  the  floe,  and  so  es- 
capes without  damage.  The  pressure  of  two  floes  or  platforms  of  ice 
against  the  sides  of  a  vessel  is  called,  in  the  language  of  the  sailors,  a 
"nip."  By  these  nips,  vessels  of  the  in; proved  pattern  just  described 
escape  the  crushing  to  which  ordinary  snips  would  be  liable,  but  are 
lifted  entirely  out  of  the  water. 

Captain  Kane's  vessel,  the  Advance,  received  several  quite  noticeable 
"  nips,"  without  sustaining  much  damage  thereby.  She  had  been  care- 
fully prepared  for  the  duty  which  she  was  appointed  to  perform,  and 
proved  that  the  ship-wrights  of  the  United  States  could  make  their 
workmanship  equal  to  any  emergency.  It  is  not  only  as  a  precaution 
against  "nipping"  that  ships  intended  for  Arctic  service  should  bo 
built  in  the  most  substantial  manner  that  is  possible.  On  other  accounts 
it  is  highly  necessary  that  they  should  be  strong  and  well  fortified.  In 
order  that  any  progression  may  be  made,  it  is  sometimes  recpiisite, 
that  they  should  be  butted,  under  a  full  press  of  canvas,  against  "  bight 
tongues,"  or  ridges  of  ice,  which  join  two  heavy  floes  together,  and  are 
thus  interposed,  like  a  bar,  across  the  passage,  completely  shutting  .it 
up.  At  other  times,  the  ship  must  make  headway  against  largo  pieces 
of  floating  ice,  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  them  or  thrusting  them 
aside,  in  order  to  clear  the  track.  Such  pieces  are  often  crowded 
together  in  water,  which  would  otherwise  be  open.  Obstructions  of 
this  kind  yield,  Avhen  a  sufiicient  force  is  applied,  and  when  it  is  neces- 
sary to  overcome  them,  the  ship  is  driven  at  full  speed  against  lumps  of 


up,  unti 
hummoc 
which  ri 
freezing; 
the  hum 
and  lev^ 

Old 
oceasioiil 

floes    Ct 

year  tl 
often  nc 
still  lesj 
this  woi 
To  tlj 
free  frol 
Water.  I 
had  pas- 


SOXNTAo'ri   NAUHATIVE   OF  Till-:   UllIXN'ELL   EXPKUrriuN'. 


I 


ice,  wliifh  aro  almost  a.^  solid  and  obdurato  as  rocks.  Any  vessel 
built  in  the  usual  uiannor  would,  infallibly,  be  wrecked  by  such  culli.sion.^. 

In  such  eircuni-tance.s  a.s  wo  have  described,  the  Arctic  steamer, 
under  tlio  commaml  of  Captain  Ilartstein,  made  extraordinary  jjrogrcs.^ 
in  her  voyage  through  these  seas.  She  was  the  very  kind  of  vessel, 
which  the,  imrposc  reiiuircd ;  it  was  necessary  to  bore  a  passage,  and 
she  was  e^ual  to  the  task. 

The  Advance  had  a  very  fortunate  and  prosperous  passage  through 
Melville  Bay,  which  name  applies  to  that  part  of  Eafhn's  J5ay  which 
forms  a  deep  indentation,  opening  to  the  South-East,  between  74.  and 
70°  North  latitude.  This  is  the  most  perilous  passage  in  the  whole 
range  of  Arctic  navigation.  Hero  the  ice  acciuuulatcs,  after  emerging 
from  the  Sounds  which  open  upon  the  Bay,  and  here  it  is  detanied, 
within  a  certain  centre,  by  opposing  currents.  Melville  Bay  is  a  vast 
>Yilderness  of  ice,  and  it  is  only  on  extraordinary  and  fortunate  oeca- 
gions  that  a  few  "leads,"  or  narrow  passages  of  water,  arc  open  for  tho 
purposes  of  navigation.  Tho  surface  is  covered  with  fields  of  ice,  vary- 
ing in  thickness  from  five  to  thirty  feet,  and  extending  in  length  for 
miles.  Hummocks  of  ice  and  icebergs  afford  the  only  variety  in  tho 
dreary  prospects  here  presented  to  the  observation  of  the  mariner. 
Those  "  hummocks "  are  commonly  produced  by  the  meeting  of  two 
large  floes  of  ice,  tho  edges  of  which  break  off,  and  aro  lifted  up  as  the 
pressure  goes  on.  These  operations  of  nature  are  accompanied  by  a 
harsh  grinding  sound,  additional  fragments  aro  broken  off,  and  [tiled 
up,  until  a  rough  wall,  of  considerable  altitude,  is  formed.  Other 
hummocks  originate  with  pieces  of  ice,  of  unusual  size  and  thickness, 
■which  rise  above  the  surrounding  surface,  and  become  stationary  by 
freezing  in  contact  with  larger  and  less  mobile  masses.  By  this  means 
the  luuumock  becomes  a  hill  of  considerable  elevation  among  the  smooth 
and  level  ice  which  surrounds  it. 

Old  floes  are  frequently  found  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  thick ;  and, 
occa.sionally,  their  thickness  is  threo  times  as  great.  The  ago  of  these 
floes  can  be  estimated  when  it  is  remembered  that  within  tho  first 
year  the  freezing  seldom  exceeds  nine  feet  in  tliickness,  and  is 
often  not  more  than  six  feet,  and  the  yearly  accession  afterwards  is 
still  less — a  phenomenon  which  we  will  account  for  in  another  part  of 
this  work. 

To  the  North  of  Melville  Bay  is  an  expanse  of  water,  which  is  usually 
free  fi'om  ice.  This  expanse  is  known  to  whalers  by  the  name  of  North 
Water.  The  Advance  met  with  no  very  serious  obstruction,  until  she 
had  passed  Littleton  Island,  in  latitude  78°.     Hero  wo  hove  to,  for  tho 


IM- 


I''  ' 


^ 


i3 


purpose 
nor — the 
ship,  iuid 
wait  u  l\ 

]>)'    1110 

coast,  wli 

the  tide. 

or  forced 

Stan.     Th 

ranch  to 

progressio 

Toward 

ice,"  as  it 

first  ico  of 

the  old  sto 

the  presen 

had  becorn 

of  the  sam( 

quarters. 

ry  of  this 

ardent  ten; 

mado  all  t 

ral)lc,  if  no 

78°  50' ;  b 

in  order  t( 

selected  foi 

only  five  hi 

tions  for  wj 

boards  was 

first  clearec 

tlie  purpose 

between  de( 

At  this  ti 

rations  by  ' 

mountainous 

gross  was  si 

mass  of  ice 

consisted  of 

backs.    Thii 

skins,  intend 


SONNTAO'S   NARUATIVK  OF  TIIR   GRINNELL   KXrKDITIOX. 


87 


purpose  of  orcotinj;  a  cairn  ami  lla;^-staff.  While  dctaineil  in  this  ninn- 
nor — the  weather  being  thiek  and  togj^y — the  ice  fornied  around  the 
Bhip,  and  pinioned  her,  aa  it  were,  to  the  spot.  Wo  wore  obliged  to 
wait  a  lew  days,  when  the  ice  fortunately  relaxed,  and  our  gallant 
vessiol  was  released. 

l>y  means  of  pcrsovcring  labor,  wo  mado  somo  progress  along  tho 
Coast,  where  the  ice  was  broken  up  somewhat  by  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  tide.  Through  the  passages  thus  afforded,  the  ship  was  "  warped" 
or  forced  along,  by  means  of  hawsers  and  linos  wound  around  tho  cap- 
stan. This  process  is  exceedingly  toilsome  and  tedious,  and  tends 
much  to  dishearten  tho  seamen  ;  liowevcr,  it  was  tho  only  means  of 
progression  which  circumstances  aftbrded  us. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  short-lived  summer  of  this  climate,  the  "bay 
ice,"  as  it  is  called,  begins  to  form.  By  this  term  tho  new  ice,  or  tho 
first  ico  of  tho  season,  is  designated.  This  new  formation  being  addcil  to 
tho  old  stock,  makes  the  operations  of  the  seamen  still  more  dilKcult.  On 
the  present  occasion,  by  the  fourth  or  fifth  day  of  September,  the  new  ico 
had  become  strong  enough  to  bear  a  man's  weight,  and  before  the  middle 
of  the  same  mouth  it  became  necessary  for  the  expedition  to  take  winter 
quarters.  Tho  idea  of  passing  several  months  among  tho  dreary  scene- 
ry of  this  region  was  gloomy  and  dispiriting  enough,  even  to  tho  most 
ardent  temperament.  However,  wo  went  to  work  energetically,  and 
mado  all  tho  preparations  which  promised  to  make  our  situation  tole- 
rable, if  not  comfortable.  The  ship  had  nearly  reached  tho  latitude  of 
78*^  50' ;  but  wo  were  compelled  to  retrace  our  course  for  several  miles, 
in  order  to  find  a  place  suitable  for  a  winter  harbor.  Tho  spot  wo 
selected  for  this  purpose  was  in  a  bay,  near  three  small  islands,  and 
only  five  hundred  yards  from  the  main  land.  In  making  our  prepara- 
tions for  warmth  and  shelter,  during  our  long  incarceration,  a  house  of 
boards  was  erected  over  tho  upper  deck  of  tho  ship,  tho  holds  being 
first  cleared  of  provisions,  which  were  stowed  away  in  a  hut  built  for 
tlie  purpose,  on  one  of  the  small  islands.  Our  cooking  stove  was  set  up 
between  decks. 

At  this  time  several  exploring  parties  were  sent  out  to  make  obser- 
vations by  land.  One  of  these  parties  penetrated  inland,  through  the 
mountainous  country,  to  tho  distance  of  fifty  miles,  where  their  pro- 
gress was  stopped  by  a  1;  .rgo  glacier ;  perhaps  a  portion  of  the  same 
mass  of  ice  which  covers  the  whole  interior  of  Greenland.  This  party 
consisted  of  three  persons,  who  carried  all  their  baggage  on  their 
backs.  This  baggage  consisted  of  provisions  and  two  small  buffalo 
skins,  intended  to  serve  them  for  bed  and  bedding;  and,  as  you  may 


*: 


38 


sonntaq's  narrative  of  the  grixnell  expedition. 


I'!        1 


lli 


!      ■  ! 


■; 


I  •?! 


suppose,  the  supply  was  scanty  enough,  considering  that  the  couch  on 
which  they  might  be  obliged  to  rcjiosc  would  probably  bo  the  frozen 
ground  or  cakes  of  ice.  The  average  temperature  noticed  by  this 
travelling  party  was  10°. 

The  other  journey  was  undertaken  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
depot  of  provisions  for  the  use  of  future  exploring  parties  which  might 
be  sent  from  the  ship  during  the  winter.  These  excursionists  travelled, 
for  the  most  part,  over  the  new  ice  along  the  coast.  For  the  last  fifty 
miles  of  their  journey,  they  proceeded  over  a  causeway,  or  elevated 
ridge  of  solid  ice,  the  issue  of  an  enormous  glacier  in  the  sea.  The 
frozen  sea  all  around  was  covered  with  innumerable'  icebergs,  of  all 
shapes  and  sizes,  through  which  the  ridge  over  which  they  journeyed 
formed  a  road  as  straight  and  level  as  if  it  had  been  artificially  con- 
structed for  the  purpose  of  travel.  It  is  highly  probable  that  this  vast 
collection  of  ice  is  a  branch  of  the  glacier  which  had  been  discovered 
by  the  inland  party.  This  hideous  journey  lasted  for  more  than  a 
month,  the  temperature  through  the  whole  time  being  generally  below 
zero.  The  party  sheltered  themselves  every  night  in  a  small  tent 
which  was  pitched  on  the  ice.  One  buffalo  skin  served  them  for  a 
mattrass,  and  another  for  a  blanket,  and  these  two  skins  constituted  all 
their  bedding,  which,  together  with  their  stock  of  provisions,  was  car- 
ried on  a  sledge.  The  provisions  which  they  took  with  them  amounted 
to  about  six  hundred  pounds  of  pemmican,  or  meat  minced  and  dried, 
and  mixed  with  a  large  proportion  of  fat  or  suet.  It  is  a  fact  very 
well  known  and  sufficiently  accounted  for  by  physiologists,  that  the 
most  greasy  messes  are  the  most  acceptable  to  the  human  stomach  in 
these  intensely  cold  climates.  However  much  a  man  may  abhor  such 
provisions  when  in  more  temperate  regions,  he  soon  learns  how  to 
swallow  them  with  relish  and  avidity  when  his  gastronomic  powers  are 
invigorated  by  the  sharp  breezes  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  desire  for 
animal  food  in  these  regions  is  insatiable.  I  apprehend  that  any  dis- 
ciple of  Graham,  the  renowned  vegetarian  philosopher,  would  find  it 
necessary  to  abandon  his  principles,  or  his  dietetic  practices  at  least, 
if  fate  made  him  a  wanderer  beyond  the  polar  circle.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  weight  of  their  baggage  and  equipments,  this  travelling  party 
proceeded,  on  an  average,  more  than  ten  miles  per  day.  On  this  and 
all  future  journeys  made  by  parties  sent  from  the  ship  during  the  win- 
ter, the  tourists  were  obliged  to  obtain  water  for  drinking  by  melting 
snow  or  ice,  and  this  made  it  necessary  to  take  a  great  quantity  of 
fuel,  alcohol  or  lard,  on  the  sledge,  a  circumstance  which  tended  great- 
ly to  increase  their  burden. 


I 


\ 


SONXTAG  S  NARRATIVE   OF  THE   GRIXXKI.L  EXPEDITION. 


S9 


uch  on 

frozen 

by  this 

iliing  a 
[1  might 
ivellcd, 
ist  fifty 
levated 
X.    Tho 
3,  of  all 
.irneyed 
illy  con- 
tliis  vast 
icovored 
than  a 
ly  below 
lall  tent 
m  for  a 
tutcd  an 
was  car- 
mounted 
dried, 
act  very 
lat  the 
mach  in 
lor  such 
how  to 
vers  are 
esire  for 
any  dis- 
find  it 
at  least, 
thstand- 
party 
this  and 
the  win- 
melting 
mtity  of 
3d  grcat- 


1 


': 


Nearly  all  of  the  Esquimaux  dogs,  and  many  of  the  Newfoundland 
ones,  died  in  the  early  part  of  the  winter.  This  extensive  mortality  was 
occasioned  by  a  singular  spasmodic  disease,  resembling  the  Asiatic 
cholera,  which  was  very  prevalent  among  the  unfortunate  quadrupeds  ; 
however,  their  untimely  decease  was  a  greater  misfortune  to  us  than  to 
themselves;  as  it,  probably,  put  an  end  to  their  troubles,  but  increased 
the  magnitude  of  ours.  This  fatal  canine  epidemic  Avas  produced,  as 
we  supposed,  by  a  change  of  climate  and  diet ;  though  it  was  a 
remarkable  circumstance  of  the  case  that  the  Newfoundland  dogs 
appeared  to  bear  these  changes  better  than  the  Esquimaux  animals, 
though  the  latter  were  natives  of  a  more  northern  region. 

The  death  of  the  dogs  made  the  tasks  of  the  men  more  laborious,  as 
the  duty  of  drawing  the  sledges  now  devolved  upon  them.  Tlie  pro 
gress  of  the  excursion  parties  was,  likewise,  much  slower  after  we  had 
lost  the  services  of  the  canine  teams,  as  the  sledges  could  not  be  drawn 
more  than  ten  or  fifteen  miles  per  diem  by  the  men,  while  the  dogs 
drew  them,  with  ease,  from  forty  to  sixty  miles. 


ilt:--; 


f'fiC 


'■  ■'s 


:■!  i-^1 


m 


M 


m 


P4 


» 


H    ,     I 


'I   ii 


CHAPTER  IV. 


i-i 
> 

H 


O 
H 


o 

H 
H 

P 


OUR  SITUATIOX  BECOMES  MORE  AND  MORE  UNPLEASANT — THE  ARCTIC 
WINTER  SETS  IX — INTENSE  COLD,  AND  ITS  SURPRISING  EFFECTS — POLAR 
SCENERY — DREADFUL  SUFFERI^"JS  OF  OUR  EXCURSION  PARTIES — WE  ARE 
VISITED  BY  THE  SAVAGE  ESQUIMAUX — THEIR  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE, 
DRESS,  JIANNERS,  AND  CHARACTER. 

The  increasing  darkness  and  cold  made  long  excursions  from  tlio 
ship  too  perilous  to  be  thought  of  during  the  remainder  of  the  winter. 
The  sun  had  disappeared  on  the  10th  of  October ;  its  last  beams  were 
seen  shining  rather  dimly  on  the  tops  of  the  highest  hills  four  days 
later,  and  this  was  our  latest  glimpse  of  the  celestial  luminary,  until  the 
arrival  of  the  24th  day  of  February,  in  the  following  year,  (185-i), 
From  the  time  of  the  sun's  disappearance,  the  atmosphere  became 
darker  and  darker  every  day.  The  twilight,  which  appeared  at  the 
commencement  of  the  Arctic  night  of  three  thousand  hours,  and  which 
was  visible  daily  about  12  o'clock  M.,  became  dimmer  and  dimmer, 
from  the  early  part  of  November  to  the  middle  of  January,  when  it  was 
a  little  brighter  on  the  southern  horizon,  at  noon,  than  it  was  at  mid- 
night. Only  for  a  small  part  of  each  month,  did  the  moon  offer  us  the 
use  of  her  pallid  lamp,  which  sufficed,  however,  to  show  the  vast  desola- 
tion which  surrounded  us,  and  to  give  a  more  ghastly  and  appalling 
effect  to  the  funeral  silence  which  hung  over  the  scene.  The  mountains, 
which  bounded  the  horizon  on  one  hand,  were  covered  with  a  shroud- 
like mass  of  snow,  relieved  at  some  particular  points  by  a  few  black 
cliffs — the  precipitous  form  of  which  would  not  afford  a  lodgment  for 
the  snowy  mantle. 

The  moonlight  gave  a  singular,  I  had  almost  said  an  unnatural  bril- 
liancy to  the  night — the  radiance  of  the  lunar  orb  being  much  increased 
by  the  reflex  from  the  white  surface  of  the  sea  and  land.  When 
the  moon  disappeared,  "primeval  darkness"  seemed  to  return.  The 
aurora  borealis  was  often  visible,  but  its  light  was  too  feeble  to  have 
any  perceptible  effect  on  the  "  solid  darkness." 

(41) 


M 


I',' ' 


'm 


42  SONNTAO'S  NARRATIVE  OF  THE    CiRIXXELL    EXPEDITION. 


The  cold  increased  simultaneously  with  the  darkness.  Mercury  was 
frozen  from  the  latter  part  of  November  to  the  end  of  March.  The 
exhalation  from  our  lungs  began  to  congeal  on  our  whisikcrri  and  mous- 
taches as  soon  as  we  left  the  ship,  and  our  beards,  which  we  cultivated 
as  a  useful  article  of  dress,  became  solid  masses  of  ice,  giving  us  all  the 
appearance  of  venerable  patriarchs ;  even  our  eyelids  were  encased  with 
ice  formed  1)y  the  freezing  vapor ;  the  hair  and  all  the  clothing  near 
the  head  were  coated  with  a  thick  frost,  like  a  wedding  cake.  Whenever 
we  looked  at  each  other,  we  could  scarcely  refrain  from  laughing, 
although  our  sufferings  generally  disposed  us  to  be  serious.  Any  arti- 
cle exposed  to  the  air  was  almost  immediately  congealed ;  mercury, 
spirits  and  molasses  became  solid,  or  acquired  a  gum-like  consistence. 
Inside  the  ship,  everything  which  was  not  directly  exposed  to  the 
heated  air  soon  obtained  a  coating  of  ice.  Our  occupations  on  board 
were  various ;  some  of  us  passed  several  hours  of  each  day  in  making 
scientific  observations,  and  preparing  for  the  spring  journeys.  Some 
employed  themselves  in  reading,  writing  letters,  &c.  Various  pas- 
times were  devised,  chiefly  for  the  entei'tainment  of  the  seamen,  to 
whom  this  tedious  imprisonment  seemed  to  be  an  almost  insupportable 
affliction.  Among  other  amusements,  we  had  private  theatricals,  and 
several  of  our  performei's  might  have  been  termed  north-stars,  as  they 
succeeded  in  eliciting  thunders  of  applause  from  the  Arctic  audience. 

Our  people  enjoyed  better  health  and  more  comfort  during  the  win- 
ter than  we  had  much  reason  to  expect.  When  daylight  began  to  re- ' 
turn,  we  were  amazed  at  the  strange  and  rather  awful  appearance  of 
each  other's  faces.  Our  complexions  had  become  so  pallid  that  we  all 
looked  like  a  company  of  ghosts,  such  as  that  which  Homer  represents 
Mercury  as  conducting  to  the  infernal  shades.  This  appearance  I  as- 
cribe to  the  long  absence  of  the  solar  light ;  it  was  not  discoverable  by 
the  light  of  the  lamps. 

On  the  24th  day  of  February  the  sun  once  more  shone  on  the  tops 
of  the  mountains,  and  a  few  days  later  his  beams  began  to  gild  the 
tops  of  our  masts.  The  re-appearance  of  the  blessed  luminary  was 
hailed  with  the  enthusiastic  cheers  and  acclamations  of  our  people, 
with  the  display  of  flags  and  other  demonstrations  of  grateful  joy. 
The  long  absence  of  light  and  heat,  thos©  two  important  elements  of 
life,  could  not  fail  to  have  some  depressing  influence  upon  our  minds ; 
but  all  sadness  and  discontent  vanished  as  soon  as  the  light  of  day 
came  once  more  to  cheer  us  in  this  frozen  wilderness. 

For  the  greater  part  of  the  time  the  sky  was  perfectly  unclouded. 
Although  we  now  had  glimpses  of  sunlight,  the  cold  was  unabated.    In 


\ 


to 


|thc  tops 
?ild  the 
iry  was 
[people, 
M  joy. 
ients  of  ■ 

minds ; 

of  day 

[louded. 
led.    In 


SONXTAQ  S   NARRATIVE   OF  THE  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


43 


fact  some  of  the  coldest  weather  we  experienced  was  in  the  month  of 
February,  after  the  Arctic  dawn  had  commenced.  On  several  occasions 
within  this  month,  the  temperature  was  more  than  60°  Fahrenheit  below 
zero.  Such  a  low  temperature  would  have  been  insi;pportable  by  any 
human  constitution,  perhaps,  had  it  been  accomparicd  by  wind  ;  but 
fortunately,  the  atmosphere  was  generally  calm  on  the  coldest  days. 
The  harbor  in  which  the  brig  wintered  was  so  well  sheltered  from  rough 
weather  that  my  observations  on  the  temperature  can  give  no  perfect 
idea  of  the  seVerity  of  the  season  in  more  exposed  situations.  Com- 
parisons of  the  temperature  observed  in  the  early  part  of  the  season 
by  our  sledge  parties,  showed  that  the  cold  was  more  severe  by  several 
degrees  outside  of  the  harbor  than  it  was  within,  though  all  possible 
care  was  taken  to  secure  our  thermometers  from  any  local  or  artificial 
influence  which  might  be  produced  on  shipboard.  It  was  our  general 
practice  to  place  the  thermometers  on  posts  stuck  in  the  ice  hundreds 
of  yards  from  the  ship. 

The  principal  occupation  of  the  officers  and  men  now  consisted  in 
making  active  preparations  for  the  spring  journeys.    Among  the  equip- 
ments provided  were  canvas  boots,  blanket-bags,  large  enough  for  one 
man  to  sleep  in,  reindeer  skin  stockings,  mittens  of  the  same  material, 
and  canvas  tents  of  improved  construction,  the  inside  of  wliich  was  far 
more  comfortable  than  that  of  an  ordinary  tent.    Many  other  articles, 
of  minor  importance,  were  also  provided  for  our  vernal  excursions. 
About  the  17th  day  of  March,  a  party,  Avell  equipped  in  every  respect, 
was  ready  to  leave  the  ship.     This  party  consisted  of  eight  persons, 
who  were  commissioned  to  make  a  depot  of  provisions,  (about  five 
hundred  pounds  of  pemmican,)  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  channel  in 
which  our  ship  was  stationed.     This   channel  takes  a  north-easterly 
direction.     It  was  found  expedient  to  cross  it  in  a  northern  direc- 
tion and  to  establish  the  depot  on  the  north-west  shore     The  provisions 
thus  deposited,  were  intended  for  the  use  of  another  party,  which  had 
been  appointed  to  continue  the  search  to  the  north  and  west  from  that 
point  which  had  been  reached  by  the  party  sent  out  in  the  preceding 
autumn.    The  severe  cold  and  the  difficulties  of  the  icy  path,  made  their 
journey  the  most  painful  and  troublesome  one,  that  was  ever  accom- 
plished by  mortal  man.    To  give  some  idea  of  the  embarrassments, 
occasioned  by  the  frigid  atmosphere  which  our  travellers  met  with,  it  may 
be  mentioned  that  it  required  more  than  two  hours  to  cook  a  meal  or 
boil  a  little  coffi^e,  and  when  these  articles  were  prepared,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  swallow  them  as  expeditiously  as  possible,  or  they  would  be 
frozen  before  they  went  down.     The  lodging,  on  the  first  night  of  the 


i'  f'm 


ik'  I. 


}:       iV'-i 


.t.'.%     ;  ^ 


llH:. 


m 

if 


m 


I 


sonntaq's  narrative  of  the  grinnell  expedition. 


45 


excursion,  vras  tolerably  comfortable  ;  each  sleeper  being  enveloped  in 
the  fur  clothing  which  he  usually  Avore,  placed  himself  in  a  blanket-bag, 
and  then  stretched  himself  on  the  buifalo-skin  mattrass  on  the  icy  floor 
of  the  tent,  after  which  he  tucked  himself  under  the  buffalo-skin  cover- 
lid. These  arrangements  answered  very  well  for  several  nights,  but  the 
evaporation  from  the  bodies  of  the  sleepers  became  condensed  on  the 
blanket-bags  and  buffalo-skins,  which  acquired  a  lining  of  ice  as  soon  as 
the  men  emerged  from  them  in  the  morning,  and  after  this,  these  bed- 
clothes were  stiffly  frozen,  when  they  were  required  for  use  at  night. 
The  tent  was  covered  on  the  inside  with  frozen  vupor,  which  hung  in 
large  floes,  and  fell  off  like  a  heavy  shower  of  snow,  with  the  slightest 
shaking.  The  temperature  inside  of  the  tent,  when  the  whole  party 
was  in  it,  was  seldom  warmer  than  20°  below  zero ;  while  on  the  outside, 
the  air  was  twenty  or  thirty  degrees  colder. 

A  few  miles  from  the  ship,  the  travellers  found  the  ice  exceedingly 
rough  and  full  of  ridges  or  hummocks,  which  made  travelling  very 
laborious.  Very  often  it  required  great  exertions  to  get  the  sledge 
over  the  hummocks,  and  sometimes  this  could  not  be  done  without  un- 
loading.  The  labor  of  these  operations  was  so  great  that,  notAvith- 
standing  the  severity  of  the  cold,  the  men  were  often  thrown  into  pro- 
fuse perspirations,  and  this  was  scon  followed  by  freezing,  the  clothes 
being  frozen  together  so  firmly  that  they  were  not  thawed  asunder  until 
the  men  entered  their  sleeping-bags.  So  many  hardships  and  obstacles 
defeated  the  objects  of  the  journey,  and  the  travellers,  finding  that 
they  could  not  reach  their  point  of  destination  at  the  prescribed  time, 
returned  to  the  ship.  Their  progress  had  been  distressingly  slow  and 
toilsome.  When  they  had  proceeded  about  forty  miles,  the  feet  of 
several  of  the  party  were  badly  frost-bitten  after  a  day's  march  over 
the  ice,  with  the  temperature  of  the  air  40°  or  50°  below  zero,  and  a 
fresh  wind  blowing  from  the  north-east.  On  the  following  morning  the 
feet  of  four  of  the  party  were  found  to  be  so  badly  frozen  as  to  make 
it  impossible  for  them  to  walk.  The  other  four  were  not  able  to  trans- 
port them  on  the  sledge,  and  so  it  became  necessary  to  leave  one  to 
take  charge  of  the  sick,  while  three  went  back  to  the  ship  for  nstsistance. 
After  a  painful  journey  of  thirteen  hours  they  arrived  at  the  ship,  and 
almost  immediately  after  started  again  at  the  head  of  a  new  party, 
to  carry  comfort  and  succor  to  their  disabled  comrades.  This  last 
party,  on  account  of  the  haste  with  which  it  was  fitted  out,  could  not 
be  very  well  equipped  for  the  journey,  and  the  sufierings  of  the  poor 
fellows  are  not  to  be  described.  The  temperature  during  the  whole 
time  they  were  en  route,  was  more  than  40°  below  zero ;  and  to  make 


ill 


1*3.  '  ;.. 


V  K 


46 


,S0N'XTA(i  S   XARRATIYK   i»I'  Tlli;   OUIXNia.L  EXl'KDITION. 


ifi?:;i 


■r    i 


matters  still  worse,  there  was  a  hard  aiul  jiicrclii;^  ■wind.  Nevertheless 
they  reached  the  tent,  and  succeeded  in  conveying  the  halt-frozen  occu- 
pants back  to  the  ship,  where  two  of  them  died  a  few  days  after,  mor. 
tification  having  supervened  in  their  frozen  limbs  ;  and  two  others  lost 
several  toes  each.  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  other  mendjers  of 
this  party  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  severe  hardships  and  expo- 
sures to  which  they  had  been  subjected. 

The  unfortunate  issue  of  this  journey  occasioned  considerable  delay 
in  the  fitting  out  of  another  excursion  party,  Avhich  did  not  leave  the 
ship  before  the  last  day  of  April.  In  the  meantime  the  ship  was  visited 
by  some  savage  Esquimaux,  of  very  wild  and  grotesque  ai)pearanco. 
While  we  were  sailing  up  the  channel,  about  thirty  miles  south-Avesterly 
from  our  winter  harbor,  we  descried  an  Esquimaux  hut,  which  exhi- 
bited all  the  signs  of  having  been  inhabited  a  short  time  previous. 
Some  fresh  meat  and  two  bags  containing  blubber  were  found  in  it. 
Besides  this,  many  other  ruins  or  remains  of  Esquimaux  habitations 
were  found:  also,  graves,  fox-traps,  and  other  indications  of  a  country 
lately  inhabited,  were  discovered  all  along  the  coast.  We  were  con- 
vinced, therefore,  that  this  large  tract  of  country  must  have  been  very 
densely  populated  at  some  former  and  not  very  remote  period. 

The  Esquimaux  savages  who  visited  us  came  in  sledges  drawn  by 
dogs  ;  about  seven  or  eight  of  the  quadrupeds  being  attached  to  each 
sledge.  These  people  were  dressed  in  "jackets"  or  jumpers  of  foxskin, 
with  hoods  to  protect  their  heads  from  the  weather.  Under  their 
hooded  jackets  they  Avore  vests  or  shirts  of  seal-skin,  or  the  skin  of 
some  aquatic  bird.  They  had  likewise  short  pantaloons  or  'inexpres- 
sibles," made  of  the  hides  of  polar  bears,  and  boots  of  seal-skins,  and 
dog-skin  stockings  completed  their  picturesque  apparel;  to  procure 
which  they  seemed  to  have  made  extensive  drafts  on  the  animal 
kinjidom.     Their  hands  were  covered  with  bear-skin  mittens. 

The  fur  side  of  all  the  skins,  except  those  which  composed  their 
stockings,  were  turned  outwards.  They  had  long  black  hair,  which 
was  divided  in  the  middle,  and  hung  down  on  each  side  to  their  waists. 
Their  complexion  was  a  light-brown.  Their  eyes  were  large,  or  rather 
long,  and  appeared  to  be  placed  in  a  more  oblique  position  than  the 
eyes  of  the  human  species  usually  are ;  the  outer  angle  being  elevated- 
towards  the  forehead.  Their  noses  were  invariably  small,  broad  and 
flat.  The  large  mouth  exhibited  a  set  of  strong  white  teeth ;  their 
cheeks  were  extremely  fat,  and  had  a  puffed-out  appearance,  but  their 
hands  and  feet  were  small,  though  not  exactly  of  a  shape  which  I  should 
call  delicate.     Some  of  them  had  small  beards,  but  the  majority  of 


..'c 


SONXTAU  S   NAUUATIVE  OF   TIIK  (iUINNELL  EXPEDITION, 


47 


the 
ited- 
and 
pcir 
beir 
kid 
of 


them  were  unprovided  with  such  ornaments.  In  stature,  they  were  not 
iiiuch  below  the  average  height  of  Europeans  and  the  men  of  the  United 
;-jtatca.  There  were  several  females  among  the  party,  whose  apjiear- 
auce  Avas  not  at  all  fascinating,  but  some  of  the  sailors,  who  arc  apt  to 
have  eccentric  tastes  in  such  matters,  endeavored  to  improve  their 
aci^uaintance  with  these  Arctic  ladies ;  and  I  suspect  that  they  found  them 
lejs  frigidly  repulsive  than  their  climate.  These  visitors  approached 
our  ship  on  both  sides,  having  left  their  sledges  at  some  distance. 
They  appeared  to  be  but  little  alarmed  or  embarrassed  on  finding  them 
seh'cs  in  strange  company,  and  avc  were  soon  enabled  to  carry  on  an 
intelligible  conversation  through  Mr.  Petersen,  our  Danish  interpreter, 
and  the  Esquimaux  boy  whom,  as  mentioned  before,  wc  shipped  on  the 
southern  coast  of  Greenland.  They  showed  a  great  fancy  for  articles 
or  utensils  composed  of  wood  or  iron,  and  were  much  delighted  with 
several  small  presents  of  that  kind.  Everything  on  board  seemed  to 
excite  their  curiosity ;  they  were  very  impiisitive,  and  tormented  us 
Avith  questions  on  every  subject  Avhich  occurred  to  them.  One  thing 
seemed  to  surprise  them  in  a  high  degree,  viz:  that  we  should  come  on 
such  a  long  journey  without  bringing  any  women  with  us,  and  they 
remarked  that  our  condition  must  bo  very  cheerless  and  disconsolate  in 
the  total  absence  of  the  other  sex.  Nothing,  (they  averred,)  could 
induce  them  to  submit  to  a  similar  privation.  Tlieir  conversation,  the 
details  of  which  will  not  answer  for  publication,  occasioned  much  merri- 
ment among  our  junior  companions.  These  savages  appear  to  be  of  a 
sanguine  and  jovial  disposition,  and  their  visit  afturded  a  very  accepta- 
ble relief  to  the  tedium  and  monotony  of  our  polar  life.  They  showed 
vei*y  little  relish  for  tea,  coffee  or  any  article  of  diet  on  board  of  our 
vessel,  and  what  surprised  us  still  more — they  did  not  tax  our  liquid 
hospitality,  showing  no  inclination  for  brandy,  spirits,  &c.  They  would 
drink  nothing  but  pure  water,  an  example  of  tcototalisni  which  we  cer- 
tainly did  not  expect  from  them,  as  we  had  heard  some  account  of  tho 
bibulous  propensities  of  savage  tribes  in  general.  The  stories  told  by 
some  travellers  respecting  the  fondness  of  the  Esquimaux  for  train  oil, 
as  a  beverage,  appear  to  be  slanderous  and  without  foundation ;  none 
of  those  whom  we  met  were  inclined  to  any  such  practice,  but  treated 
all  invitations  to  imbibe  such  greasy  liquids  as  a  mere  joke. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  people  of  a  merry  temper  are  disposed  to 
be  honest ;  but  this  characteristic  description  would  not  apply  to  our 
Esc^uimaux  visitors.  They  laughed  almost  incessantly,  but  were  always 
on  the  alert  when  an  opportunity  to  steal  something  was  presented  to 
them.    Knives,  forks,  spoons,  and  other  small  metallic  articles,  seemed 


m 


m 


48 


SONNTAg's   narrative   op  the   ORINNELL  EXPEDniON. 


to  bo  the  principal  objects  of  their  cupidity.  Some  aspired  to  more 
considerable  larcenies,  attempting  to  possess  themselves  of  our  buckets, 
tinware,  crockery,  &c.,and  one  fellow  put  himself  to  the  trouble  of  con- 
veying half  a  barrel  of  coal  to  his  sledge,  with  the  intention  of  carrying 
it  off.  In  short,  their  k  vo  of  thieving  was  so  inordinate,  that  no  por- 
table article  was  safe  within  their  reach,  and  they  were  as  adroit  in  these 
felonious  operations  as  ai'y  well  trained  "  prig"  in  the  christianised 
cities  of  Eur<^pe  or  America.  When  detected  in  a  theft,  they  returned 
the  stolen  article  very  good-humoredly,  without  exhibiting  the  least 
shame  or  compunction.  One  of  our  india  rubber  boats,  which  had  been 
left  on  the  ice  about  six  miles  from  the  ship,  had  been  found  by  them, 
and  they  immediately  cut  it  open ;  the  floats  which  were  left  around  it 
were  likewise  cut  in  two  by  these  worthy  gentlemen.  This  was  pro- 
bably done  from  motives  of  curiosity,  the  same  feeling  which  impels 
children  to  dissect  their  toys,  in  order  to  discover  what  is  inside  of 
them. 

The  Esfjuimaux  will  sometimes  attack  boats,  for  the  purpose  of  rob- 
bing them,  if  the  crews  are  not  sufficient  in  number  to  protect  them- 
selves. In  Sir  John  Franklin's  second  expedition,  July  1820,  the 
crews  of  two  boats  were  attacked  by  hundreds  of  these  savages,  who 
attempted  a  general  massacre  of  the  Englishmen,  but  did  not  succeed. 
On  another  occasion,  Captain  Franklin  himself  was  beset  by  two  power- 
ful chiefs  in  one  of  his  own  boats.  They  grasped  him  by  the  shoulders, 
and  held  him  fast ;  he  shook  them  off  several  times,  and  stood  on  the 
defensive  until  a  third  chief  grasped  him  by  the  arm,  and  thus  prevented 
him  from  using  his  knife  or  pistol.  They  then  attempted  to  paddle  the 
boat  to  the  shore.  Captain  Franklin  being  still  held  firmly  by  some  of 
their  party.  As  if  to  pacify  him,  the  chiefs  tapped  him  gently  on  the 
breast  repeating  the  word  "  Seyma."  As  they  approached  the  beach, 
two  omeaks,  filled  with  women,  met  them,  and  filled  the  air  with  excla- 
mations of  delight  on  account  of  the  prize  which  they  supposed  their 
countrymen  had  obtained.  The  Captain  having  been  thus  secured,  as 
they  thought,  on  shore,  the  Esquimaux  men  stripped  themselves  to  the 
waists,  drew  their  knives,  and  rushed  to  the  other  EngUsh  boats,  as  if 
resolved  on  murder  and  pillage.  Lieut.  Back,  and  his  crew,  resisted 
manfully,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  many  articles  from  the  grasp  of  the 
robbers.  However,  the  English  were  overpowered,  and  one  of  the 
Esquimaux  had  the  audacity  to  snatch  Franklin's  knife  and  cut  the 
buttons  from  his  waistcoat.  Many  times  during  this  scuffle  the  savages 
tried  to  carry  off  the  box  of  astronomical  instruments,  but  one  of  the 
sailors  secured  it  by  tying  it  to  his  leg,  resolved,  that,  if  they  took  it 


a 
b 
tl 
w 
m 
fr 
in 

sol 
far 


iif  I 


i 


sonxtag's  NAimATivi:  OF  Tiir;  (UirxxELL  expedition. 


49 


away,  ho  wouUl  bo  (Ira;^j^c(l  off  with  it.  Tho  crews  of  the  English 
boats  wcfc  harassed  and  maltreated  in  thi,-<  way  for  several  hours,  until 
the  commander  directed  his  interpreter  to  tell  the  Estiuiniaux  that  he 
would  order  his  men  to  shoot  all  of  them  who  came  within  reach  of  their 
muskets.  This  had  tho  desired  effect ;  the  thievish  villains  desisted 
from  their  operations ;  but  they  had  already  stolen  many  things  of 
incalculable  value  to  the  exploring  party. 

This  account  will  show  that  the  E.^(iuimaux  know  how  to  ma'.c  them- 
selves unpleasant  neighbors  and  disagreeable  guests,  when  they  take  a 
fancy  to  do  so,  and  a  fair  opportunity  offers. 


m 


M-  '\ 


; 


/^agos 

the 

)k  it 


.     I: 


y,  ■■■  ,■■;;■ 


l:.^? 


^W 


f<y 


1 


CIIArTER    V. 


SOME  ACCOUNT  OP  THE  ESQUIMAUX  DOOS — THEIR  SINtlULAn  HABITS  AND 
GREAT  UTILITY — FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  AND 
SUPERSTITIONS  OF  THE  SA^'AUE  vsquimaUx — WE  OlfTAIN  ANOTHER 
DOG-TEAM,  AND  SEND  OUT  TWO  NEW  TRAVELLING  PARTIES,  ONE  COM 
MANDED   BY  DR.    KANE   IN   PEPSON. 


Tlio  Esciuimaux  dogs,  so  highly  cclehratoil  for  their  utility  as  draught 
animals,  have  an  oxtromely  wolfish  appearance.  The  head  is  long,  the 
nose  black,  they  have  stiff,  upright  ears,  like  those  of  the  wolf,  and 
their  LJr  or  fur  very  much  resembles  that  of  the  last  named  animal. 
Some  of  their  habits  are  very  remarkable.  Every  day  they  held  regu- 
lar meetings,  for  what  purpose  wo  could  not  ascertain.  One  of  the 
canine  assemblage,  Avho  appeared  to  bo  the  orator  of  the  day,  began  to 
howl  in  a  very  impressive  manner,  curving  his  back  and  fixing  his  e^cs 
very  earnestly  on  the  sky.  After  a  while  all  the  others  began  to  howl 
likewise,  producing  a  grand  concert  of  vocal  music,  which  the  hiunau 
portion  of  the  auditory  had  not  taste  enough  to  appreciate.  Their 
general  appearance  at  these  meetings  is  melancholy ;  the  chief  speaker, 
or  solo  performer,  might,  to  a  fanciful  observer,  be  supposed  to  com- 
mence the  performance  with  a  descant  on  the  troubles  and  afflictions 
incident  to  a  dog's  life  in  the  polar  regions  ;  after  which,  the  whole  con- 
gregation unite  in  a  grand  choi'us,  to  express  their  perfect  agreement 
with  the  orator's  views  and  sentiments. 

Notwithstanding  all  this  display  of  fine  feeling  and  delicate  sensibi- 
lity, these  dogs  sometimes  exhibit  a  very  cruel  and  ferocious  temper. 
Troops  of  them  have  been  known  to  attack  men  and  to  devour  children 
who  happened  to  fall  in  their  way.  Greenlanders  are  sometimes  killed 
by  them,  and  when  this  happens,  every  bone  of  the  victim  is  cleanly 
picked  by  the  hungry  brutes.  In  fact,  to  a  solitary  traveller  the  appear- 
ance of  a  troop  of  them  is  scarcely  less  formidable  than  that  of  a  gang 
of  wolves.   Their  size  is  very  little  loss  than  that  of  a  Newfoundland  dog ; 

61 


52 


SONXTAG  S   XARRATIVG   OF   Tllli:   GUIXXELL    liXPKDITION. 


they  have  long  bushy  tails,  Avhich  they  carry  in  an  elevated  position 
over  their  hacks,  except  when  they  are  fatigued  or  hungry.  By  this 
sign  the  wayfarer  may  often  judge  when  an  attack  by  them  is  to  be 
apprehended.  For,  unlike  pirates  or  buccaneers,  who  hoist  their  flags 
when  they  design  to  make  an  assault,  these  canine  freebooters  of  the 
North  loivcr  their  caudal  banners  when  starvation  impels  them  to  battle. 
The  representatives  of  the  canine  race  in  this  region  do  not  bark,  as 
civilized  dogs  are  accustomed  to  do.  Barking  is  one  of  those  acquire- 
ments of  the  species  which  come  by  cultivation  and  an  improved  state 
of  society ;  although,  like  it  is  with  many  other  improvements  which 
follow  in  the  track  of  civilization,  its  blessings  or  benefits  are  not  very 
obvious. 


ESQUIMAUX    DOa — IN  HARNESS. 


"When  these  dogs  are  taken  into  service  by  an  Esquimaux,  they  are 
fed  by  their  employers,  in  the  summer  season,  once  or  twice  in  each 
week.  In  winter,  their  supply  of  food  is  still  more  scanty  and  unfre- 
qucnt,  except  when  they  are  engaged  in  actual  service,  at  which  times 
their  tasks  are  very  severe.  In  these  circumstances  they  arc  supplied 
with  one  full  meal  every  day,  or  every  second  day,  at  farthest. 
Their  food  is  similar  in  kind  to  that  used  by  their  masters,  consisting, 


,i'c 


SONXTAO  S   NARRATIVE   OF   THE   (iRIXXELL   EXPEDITION. 


53 


I 


for  the  most  part,  of  the  flesh  of  the  seal,  bear  or  walrus,  but  this  meat 
IS  seldom  or  never  given  to  the  dogs  unless  it  happens  to  be  in  a 
spoiled  condition.  The  dogs  are  sometimes  fed  with  pieces  of  walrus 
skin,  frozen  and  cut  up  in  small  shreds.  When  seals  happen  to  be  very 
plentiful,  a  whole  one,  stripped  of  the  blubber,  is  sometimes  given  to 
the  dogs.  However,  as  these  animals  have  large  appetites,  they  often 
suffer  greatly  on  account  of  a  deficiency  of  food.  When  anything 
eatable  is  thrown  to  them  it  is  commonly  torn  to  pieces  and  swalloAvcd 
before  it  reaches  the  ground.  When  they  are  feeding,  their  ferocity  is 
such  that  they  would  kill  each  other  while  fighting  for  the  provisions, 
if  whips  and  staves  were  not  in  constant  use  to  keep  them  in  order ; 
on  this  account  some  of  the  men,  armed  with  weapons  of  terror  and 
punishment,  arc  obliged  to  superintend  their  Scythian  banquets. 

When  these  brutes  are  harnessed  for  service,  each  dog  is  attached  to 
the  sledge  by  a  line  of  seal  or,  walrus  skin.  All  run  in  one  rank,  at 
equal  distances  from  the  sledge.  They  are  guided  and  controlled  by 
the  voice  of  the  driver  and  the  whip.  Their  speed  and  power  of  trac- 
tion are  wonderful.  A  team  of  six  or  seven  dogs  will  draw  a  sledge, 
laden  with  three  men  and  baggage,  at  the  the  rate  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles 
per  day.  On  the  ice,  when  it  is  level  and  there  is  not  much  snow  on 
it,  the  progress  is  usually  eight  or  ten  miles  per  hour.  Every  dog 
keeps  his  place  in  the  rank  with  great  precision,  unless  thrown  out  by 
some  unavoidable  cause ;  in  that  case,  he  immediately  leaps  back  into 
his  proper  station.  When  travelling  over  rough  ice,  or  hummocks,  the 
Esquimaux  dismounts  and  goes  behind  the  sledge,  where  he  takes  hold 
of  two  pieces  of  wood  which  project  like  the  handles  of  a  plough.  By 
this  means,  he  guides  the  sledge,  and  helps  it  over  the  ridges  and  ine- 
qualities of  the  route. 

The  sledge  is  supported  on  two  runners,  composed  of  wood  and  bone, 
the  part  which  touches  the  ice  being  constructed  entirely  of  the  last- 
named  material.  Many  pieces  of  both  substances  are  lashed  together 
with  thongs  of  seal  skin,  so  as  to  obtain  a  length  of  about  seven  feet,  and 
a  breadth  of  eight  inches.  These  runners  are  formed  in  a  very  artis- 
tical  manner,  care  being  taken  that  the  leathern  strips  which  fasten  the 
work  together  should  not  be  exposed  to  any  friction,  as  that  would  soon 
separate  the  parts.  In  front,  the  runners  are  slightly  turned  up. 
Pieces  of  wood  and  bone,  about  eighteen  inches  in  length,  are  lashed 
cross-Avise  to  these  runners.  At  the  back  of  the  sledge  there  are  two 
upright  posts,  about  two  feet  long,  to  the  tops  of  which  atran.^versebar 
is  fastened.  This  dorsal  fixture,  when  it  is  covered  with  a  buftalo  skin, 
supports  the  back  of  the  driver,  and  when  the  travelling  is  very  much 


m 


''Ml 


J 


wm 


»^)i 


•|i 


I  h--. 


Mi 


sonntag's  naiiuative  op  the  grinnell  expedition. 


55 


I-* 


o 

1-5 

u 
o 

Pi 
a 

o 


embarrassed  ^vitll  hillocks  and  ridges  of  ice,  the  same  fixture  serves  for 
a  handle,  by  means  of  which  tho  dismounted  traveller  may  lift  his 
vehicle  over  tho  obstacles  of  the  road,  as  I  have  mentioned  before. 
The  transverse  bar  is  used,  moreover,  to  hang  hunting  lines  on,  when 
the  Esquimaux  driver  is  engaged  in  a  venatic  enterprise.  These  hunt- 
ing lines  are  made  by  cutting  the  skin  of  a  seal  from  tho  dead  body  of 
tho  animal,  not  lengthwise,  as  usual,  but  around  tho  carcass,  and  re- 
moving it  in  a  narrow  spiral  strip.  In  this  way  a  very  strong  lasso  is 
obtained ;  and  one  great  advantage  of  this  kind  of  linos  is  that  they 
will  not  break  when  they  have  been  soaked  in  water  and  afterwards 
frozen  stiff.  On  the  sledge  a  large  seal-skin  bag,  similar  in  construc- 
tion to  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  mail-bags,  is  placed  as  a  receptacle  for 
pieces  of  meat,  knives,  and  other  articles  intended  to  be  used  on  the 
Journey.  The  Esquimaux  tourists  usually  carry  some  kind  of  arms 
with  them,  likewise,  when  travelling.  Their  principal  weapons ;  on  such 
occasions,  aro  a  lance  and  a  harpoon.  The  staff  or  shaft  of  each  of 
these  weapons  is  commonly  formed  of  tho  horn  of  tho  narwhal,  scve- 
.  1  pieces  of  which  are  lashed  together  so  as  to  make  a  pole  about  two 
-aches  in  diameter  and  five  or  six  feet  long.  The  lower  part  or  handle 
is  made  of  ivory.  The  blado  is  of  iron,  and  is  shaped  like  a  half-moon. 
These  spears  and  harpoons  aro  used  both  in  hunting  and  warfare,  and 
they  have  no  other  implements,  except  their  knives  and  hunting-lines, 
for  either  occupation.  The  seal-skin  boats,  or  kaiaJcs,  which  are  used 
by  the  Esquimaux  of  the  Danish  settlements,  on  the  western  coast  of 
Greenland,  are  not  known,  or  at  least  not  used  by  tho  savage  tribe 
which  I  am  now  describing. 

The  dress  of  the  Esquimaux  women  who  visited  our  ship  differed  very 
little  from  that  of  the  men ;  the  principal  variation  was  that  their  panta- 
loons were  shorter  and  their  boots  higher.  Their  hair  was  gathered 
up  in  knots,  and  tied  on  top  of  their  heads.  As  I  have  hinted  before, 
their  personal  beauty,  either  of  form  or  feature,  was  not  of  the  most 
attractive  character;  but  they  found  some  admirers  among  our  sailors, 
whoso  attentions  did  not  occasion  any  outbursts  of  jealous  passion 
among  the  males  of  the  visiting  party.  Their  san^/  froid  in  these  cir- 
cumstances was  as  admirable  as  that  of  any  married  gentleman  of 
France  or  Italy.  In  joviality  of  disposition  tho  Esquimaux  women 
even  transcend  the  men,  although  the  latter  are  the  most  jolly  fellows 
that  ever  my  "  conversation  coped  withal,"  in  any  climate,  rank,  or  con- 
dition. They  were  all,  male  and  female,  very  hospitablv  received  on 
board  of  our  vessel.  It  appeared  from  their  conversation  that  they 
had  no  other  idea  of  the  object  of  our  expedition  than  that  we  came 


I 


11 


56 


SONNTA(i's   NAUUATIVK   OF   THE   UlUNN'ELL  EXPEDITIOX. 


.:    i     ! 


to  their  country  for  the  purpose  of  liunting,  which  is  the  only  business 
or  pursuit  of  which  they  have  any  notion.  Not  being  able  to  compre- 
hend the  operations  of  weaving,  they  believed  the  linen,  cotton,  or 
woollen  cloths  on  board  of  the  ship  to  be  the  akins  of  some  kinds  of 
animals.  "White  linen  they  supposed  to  be  the  skins  of  our  own  coun- 
trymen, a  mistake  which  was  very  complimentary  to  the  fair  com- 
plexions of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  Bread  they  took  to  be  the  dried 
meat  of  the  musk  ox,  an  animal  of  wliich  many  remains,  skulls  espe- 
cially, are  seen  in  that  country,  though  no  living  specimens  are  now  to 
be  found. 

The  origin  of  the  white  race  is  thus  accounted  for  by  these  savages : 
An  Esquimaux  woman  once  had  the  ill-luck  to  give  birth  to  several  de- 
formed children.  Being  ashamed  of  her  offspring,  she  put  them  into  a 
shoe,  and  set  them  a-drift  in  the  sea.  Tlic  shoe  increased  prodigiously 
in  bulk,  changed  its  form,  and  became  a  ship,  and  the  rhis-shapen  Esqui- 
maux brats  became  men  and  women  of  a  burlesqued  pattern,  with 
hideously  pale  faces,  and  forms  of  an  unseemly  outline,  unlike  that  of 
their  elegant  and  handsome  Esquimaux  ancestors.  From  this  account 
of  our  origin,  you  may  judge  how  they  estimate  the  beauty  and  excel- 
lence of  the  Causasian  branch  of  the  human  family. 

They  tell  a  somewhat  imaginative  story,  concerning  the  sun  and  moon, 
which  exceeds  in  extravagance  any  parable  of  Grecian  or  Egyptian 
origin.  The  sun,  as  they  report,  was  once  a  fair  Esquimaux  maiden, 
bearing  the  pretty  name  of  Melina.  The  moon  was  formerly  her 
brother.  She  had  often  observed,  when  the  light  in  the  hut  was  extin- 
guished, that  she  was  approached  and  caressed  by  some  unseen  lover. 
In  order  to  discover  Avho  he  was,  she  stained  her  hand  with  lampblack, 
and  when  her  invisible  adorer  made  his  next  nocturnal  visit,  she  applied 
her  hand  to  his  face,  and  made  a  mark  by  which  he  might  be  distinguished 
when  the  lamp  was  re-lighted.  By  this  means  she  discovered  that  her 
clandestine  lover  was  her  own  brother.  Horrified  at  this  discovery,  she 
fled  from  the  hut,  pursued  by  the  iniquitous  young  rascal,  who  chased 
her  over  sea  and  land,  until  they  came  to  the  verge  of  the  horizon, 
where  she  sprung  up  into  the  sky,  or  was  conveyed  thither  by  some 
divinity,  who  pitied  her  misfortunes.  Her  form  Avas  now  changed,  and 
became  still  brighter  and  more  beautiful  than  it  was  before.  In  short, 
she  was  transformed  to  the  solar  luminary.  The  wicked  lad,  who  still 
followed,  Avas  changed  in  like  manner  to  the  moon,  and  the  chase  is  still 
continued  through  the  azure  fields  of  heaven.  The  face  of  the  incestuous 
lover  still  bears  the  mark  of  lampblack ;  the  same  mark  which  the 
inhabitants  of  other  countries  have  mistaken  for  "  the  man  in  the  moon." 


m 

oi 
m 
tc 
d( 
ol 
al 
in 

CO 

sh 

ci' 

ta 
th 


usmcsa 
lompre- 
ton,  or 
nds  of 
n  coun- 
ir  coni- 
e  di'ied 
[3  espe- 
now  to 

avages : 
era!  de- 
n  into  a 
igiously 
n  Esqui- 
rn,  with 
that  of 
account 
id  excel- 

id  moon, 
yptian 
maiden, 
rly  her 
3  extin- 
n  lover, 
pblack, 
applied 
iguishod 
that  her 
[ery,  she 
chased 
|horizon, 
jy  some 
hd,  and 
|n  short, 
vho  still 
is  still 
lestuous 
ich  the 
Imoon." 


SONNTAO'S  NARRATIVE   OF  THE    GUIXXELL    EXPEDITION. 


01 


Our  Esquimaux  guests  informed  us  that  they  had  seen  an  unusual 
appearance  in  the  skies,  some  years  ago,  (referring  to  the  solar  eclipse 
of  1825,)  and  they  concluded  from  thence  that  the  two  lovers  (the 
sun  and  moon)  had  come  in  actual  collision  at  last.  The  eclipse,  as  it 
appeared  in  that  latitude,  greatly  alarmed  them,  their  seers  and  wise 
men  predicting  that  it  Avould  be  foUoAved  by  disastrous  consequences. 
A  correct  view  of  this  natural  phenomenon  as  it  presented  itself  to 
Captain  Franklin  and  his  companions  on  board  of  their  ship,  in  Baffin's 
Bay,  will  be  found  below. 


ECLIPSE  OF  THE   SUN. 

The  drawing  was  made  by  one  of  the  party  and  is  certified  to  bo 
perfectly  accurate. 

A  belief  in  the  metempsychosis  prevails  in  this  country ;  but  the 
inhabitants  are  too  fond  of  animal  food  to  adopt  the  rule  and  regimen 
of  the  Pythagoreans.  They  suppose  that  the  soul  of  a  deceased  Escjui- 
maux  passes  into  some  animal  of  a  certain  species ;  and  they  pretend 
to  know,  in  every  case,  what  species  it  is.  The  relatives  of  the 
deceased,  therefore,  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  abstain  fi'om  the  flosh 
of  that  species  of  which  some  individual  is  supposed  to  be  the  present 
abode  of  their  departed  friend.  Unluckily  they  do  not  know  what 
individual  contains  the  transmigrated  spirit,  and  so  it  is  a  matter  of 
conscience  with  them  to  reject  as  food  all  animals  of  the  kind,  lest  they 
should  happen  to  devour  their  own  kindred. 

They  have  many  ceremonies  which  correspond  with  the  mourning  of 
civilized  people  for  the  death  of  their  relations.  When  an  interment 
takes  place,  all  the  hunting  apparatus  and  the  personal  equipments  of 
the  deceased  are  buried  with  him,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  abo- 


i\'\ 


I '•.  i' 


i-Vi 


o 

M 

C3 
H 

<< 
O 


SOM.NTAG  ti  NAllRATIVE   OF  THE   GRINXELL  EXPEDITION. 


59 


rig'mes  of  the  southern  portions  of  tlio  American  continent.  For  some 
days  after  th«  funeral  no  fire  is  kept  in  the  hut  inhabited  by  the  sur- 
viving relations  of  the  deceased.  The  mourners  keep  their  heads 
covered  for  a  certain  time  Avith  the  hoods  of  their  jackets.  They  weep 
a  great  deal,  even  a  long  time  after  their  departed  friends  are  buried, 
especially  when  they  happen  to  be  the  subject  of  conversation;  and  all 
strangers  who  are  '^I'esent  at  the  time  are  expected  to  weep  likewise. 
•  We  obtai  od  ,  dogs  from  the  Esqu'*^""-",  ;.n  exchange  for  knives, 
poles  and  j^-.anks.  ..hese  dogs,  togothOi.  ,vith  a  few  which  survived 
the  winter  on  ship-board,  were  sufficient  to  form  one  team.  The  expe- 
dition, therefore,  had  the  use  of  one  dog-sledge,  at  least,  with  seven 
powerful  dogs  to  draw  it.  This  sledge,  and  another  drawn  by  men, 
were  fitted  out  for  another  excursion,  the  travelling  party,  in  this  case, 
being  commanded  by  Dr.  Kane  himself.  It  left  the  ship  about  the 
latter  end  of  April,  intending  to  pursue  the  search  as  much  as  possible 
according  to  the  plan  which  has  been  mentioned  before  in  this  narra- 
tive. But  only  a  few  days  after  the  party  started,  the  leader  was 
taken  sick,  and  was  obliged  to  return.  This  party,  and  the  preceding 
one  of  autumn,  18.53,  had  followed  the  north-eastern  shore  of  Smith's 
Sound ;  or  more  properly,  the  sea-coast  above  that  locality. 

Still  another  party,  consisting  of  two  persons  only,  with  the  dog- 
sledge,  was  now  sent  out,  with  instructions  to  cross  the  channel  in  a- 
northerly  direction,  and  to  search  the  north-western  coast.  This  party 
travelled  in  the  month  of  ilay,  carrying  with  them  scarcely  anything 


',f 


OUR    SMALL    BOAT. 


■nr 


m 


GO 


riONXTAu's   NAUUATIVK  OV  TIIH   (IKIXNi;i,l,   l^XPKDITION. 


except  a  sufficiency  of  jji-ovih!  :i>,  consisting  entirely  of  iiemmican,  to 
servo  themselves  and  the  do^s  for  one  fortnight,  and  two  hlanket-haifs 
for  sleeping  in.  The  ice  was  still  nuich  in  the  same  condition  as  was 
observed  by  the  party  which  left  in  the  preceding  March.  The  same 
route  which  that  party  had  taken  was  now  foiiowed  uj),  the  travellers 
proceeding  with  as  much  rapidity  .is  ](ussll)]e  over  the  uneipial  surface, 
the  ridges  and  hillocks  of  ice  often  conijielling  them  to  dismount  and 
lift  their  sledge  over  the  obstructions.  In  this  way  they  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  channel,  which  is  about  seventy  miles  wide,  and  tliey  made 
land  on  the  western  coast,  in  latitude  79°  50'.  Their  provisions  and 
equipments  were  not  sufficient  to  justify  them  in  attempting  a  journey 
towards  the  nc>rth ;  they  therefore  proceeded  southwardly,  along  the 
■west  coast,  and  explored  about  forty  miles  of  tlie  coast-line  without 
meeting  with  any  traces  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  Tho  mountains  on  this 
coast  are  much  higher  than  those  on  the  eastern  coast.  Several  deep 
bays  and  two  islands  were  discovered.  The  interior  of  these  islands 
appeared  to  be  covered  with  a  glacier,  and  in  this  respect,  the  country 
resembled  that  on  the  east  side  of  the  channel.  The  snow  was  very 
deep,  which  made  the  travelling  extremely  laborious  ;  but  a  much 
greater  discouragement  no'"^  presented  itself.  Tho  stock  of  provisions 
was  exhausted,  as  it  was  )oss}l.ile  to  carry  a  large  amount  of  them 
on  our  sledge,  and  two  i.cn,  together  with  seven  dogs,  retpiire  a 
considerable  stock  of  victuals  in  a  climate  like  this,  where  every  iudi- 
vidual  eats  four  times  as  much  as  he  could  in  a  more  temperate  regiou. 
For  the  last  two  days  of  the  journey,  the  travellers  were  obliged  to 
put  themselves  on  very  short  allowance,  and,  of  course,  were  much  less 
able  to  endure  the  cold.  That  these  privations  in  the  way  of  eating 
were  rather  severe  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  they  were  obliged 
on  the  last  days  of  their  journey,  to  breakfast,  dine  and  sup  on  their 
own  seal-skin  boots  and  pantaloons ;  dishes  which  cannot  be  supposed 
to  have  been  very  palatable  or  digestible  ;  and,  besides,  these  articles 
of  apparel  could  not  very  well  be  spared  for  the  jjurposes  of  refection, 
when  the  low  temperature  of  the  air  made  a  large  supply  of  clothing 
necessary.  They  journeyed  for  the  last  seventy  miles  of  their  trip, 
with  no  better  provision  than  that  which  has  just  been  mentioned,- 
cutting  pieces  from  their  boots  and  pantaloons,  and  masticating  these 
dainty  morsels  as  they  proceeded.  The  reflex  of  light  from  the  surface 
of  the*snow  affected  their  eyes  to  that  degree  that  they  were  almost 
blinded,  and  suffered  severely  from  pains  in  the  visual  organs.  One  of 
them  was, entirely  deprived  of  sight  during  the  latter  part  of  the  jour 
ney,  and  for  several  davs  after  his  return.     It  strikes  me  that  this 


SONXT.Ui  S    XAUUATIVK   OF   Tilt;   (illlNNKLL   EXPEDITION. 


Gl 


inconvenience  might  have  been*  prevented,  in  some  measure,  at  least, 
by  wearing  a  shailo  of  thin  green  silk  over  tlic  eyes,  to  mitigate  tlie  in- 
tensity of  the  light.  I  would  recommend  Arctic  travellers  who  find 
themselves  in  similar  circumstances,  to  try  the  experiment. 

Owing  to  these  various  dilHculties,  the  party  was  obliged  to  return  to 
the  shij)  sooner  than  was  intended.  The  hardships  endured  by  those 
who  undertook  these  excursions,  always  caused  sickness,  more  or  less 
severe ;  indeed,  nothing  less  than  experience  could  convince  me  that 
the  human  constitution  can  support  such  trials  as  I  have  seen  it  subjec- 
ted to  in  the  high  northern  latitudes. 

At  the  time  to  which  reference  is  now  made,  it  was  constant  day-light. 
The  sun  which  had  set,  for  the  last  time  that  season,  on  the  19th  day  of 
April,  was  now  constantly  above  the  horizon.  Even  at  midnight,  its 
altitude  was  not  less  than  twelve  degrees,  while  its  meridian  altitude 
■wa8  thirty-five  degrees,  which  was  the  greatest  elevation  it  attained, 
exeej't  in  November  and  January,  when  it  may  have  ascended  two 
degrees  higher.  The  a))parent  movement  of  the  sun,  as  witnessed 
from  this  point,  is  in  a  circle,  not  much  inclined  towards  the  horizon, 
below  which,  during  the  continuance  of  the  Arctic  day,  it  never  sets. 
Notwithstanding  the  continuous  sunshine,  the  thermometer  always  indi- 
cated a  temperature  much  below  the  freezing  point,  in  tho  shade. 
During  the  first  part  of  June,  and  even  in  the  warmest  days  of  July,  the 
temperature  was  seldom  more  than  forty  degrees  above  zero. 


t  ■'   I  '  I 

111 


ch  less 
eating 
lobligcd 
In  their 
ipposed 
larticles 
llVction, 
[lothing 
lir  trip, 
^tioncd,- 
these 
Isurfacc 
almost 
)ne  of 
Ic  jour 
]iat  this 


SLEDGE    PARTY  RETURNING. 


1*'^  1 


tn 
M 
CO 

< 


SONNTAa's   NAUUATIVE  OF  TllH   GUINWELL  liXriiDrilON. 


03 


Before  the  last-mcutloncd  party  returned  from  their  journey  across 
tho  channel,  another  sledge,  drawn  by  men,  was  sent  out  on  the  same 
route  which  was  taken  by  Dr.  Kane  in  tho  preceding  autumn.  When 
the  party  with  tho  dog-slcdgo  returned,  that  sledge  with  its  canine 
team  and  several  men,  was  sent  after  the  party  which  last  left  the  ship. 
The  dog-sledge  detachment  overtook  the  other  near  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  large  glacier,  which  I  mentioned  as  having  been  dis- 
coverd  in  the  autumn  preceding. 

Near  this  locality,  while  tho  men  were  sleeping  in  their  tent,  which 
had  been  pitched  on  the  ice,  a  large  white  bear,  who  had  been  attracted 
to  tho  spot  by  curiosity,  perhaps,  or  tho  smell  of  the  provisions,  put  his 
head  into  the  door  of  tho  tent,  and  saluted  the  inmates  with  a  growl 
which  awakened  tliem  and  made  them  start  to  their  feet  very  promptly, 
t'^  receive  their  unexpected  guest  with  duo  courtesy.  As  the  sleepers 
were  enclosed  in  their  blanket-bags,  and  other  dormitory  appliances, 
it  was  some  time  before  they  could  make  any  demonstrations,  cither  of  a 
friendly  or  a  hostile  character,  and  Bruin,  in  the  meantime,  forced  his 
way  inside  of  the  \'ent,  and  deliberately  smelled  of  each  occupant,  as 
ladies  smell  chickens  in  market,  to  ascertain  if  they  aro  fresh  and 
wholesome  articles  of  food.  The  travellers  were  considerably  annoyed, 
and,  to  say  tho  truth,  very  much  alarmed  by  this  unseasonable  visit, 
especially  as  no  means  of  defence  could  be  thought  of  in  the  exigency  of 
tho  moment.  Their  rifle  and  shot-gun,  the  only  wCvipons  they  possessed, 
had  imprudently  been  left  on  tlie  outside  of  tho  tent,  and  none  of  them 
had  a  knife  large  enough  to  bo  useful  in  this  emergency.  In  these  em- 
barrassing circumstances,  one  of  the  men  bethought  him  of  the  expe- 
dient of  lighting  a  .box  of  lucifer  matches,  and  applying  it  to  tho  nose 
of  the  bear.  This  ofiFensive  operation  only  made  the  intruder  raise  his 
head,  and  stare  at  the  offender  with  a  stern  and  vindictive  aspect,  as  if 
to  check  his  audacity  and  presumption.  In  the  Meantime,  another 
member  of  the  party  remembered  a  boat-hook,  which  was  stuck  in  the 
snow  at  the  back  of  the  tent,  on  the  outside ;  and,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  use  of  it,  ho  cut  a  hole  in  the  canvas  with  his  pen-knife,  and,  to  his 
great  joy,  found  that  the  instrument  was  within  his  reach.  He  grasped 
it,  drew  it  into  tho  tent,  and  made  a  resolute  punch  with  the  spear-like 
weapon  at  the  bear's  countenance,  which  manoeuvre  caused  the  animal 
to  retreat  to  the  sledge,  where  he  began  to  devour  some  of  the  dried 
seal's  flesh,  which  had  been  provided  for  the  subsistence  of  the  travel- 
lers. The  man  with  the  boat-hook  followed  him,  and  with  another  punch 
drove  him  to  the  distance  of  several  yards  from  the  sledge,  when 
another  of  the  party  seized  the  rifle,  took  aim  and  fired.     The  bear 


m^ 


.:,  W 


01 


SONNTAO'S   NATlRATrVE  OP  TIIK   OUINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


W 


■I'f 


,! 


f  I' 


I 


m 


11 


•was  sliot  in  the  head,  and  died  ahnost  immediately.  It  was  a  lar;^e  animal, 
mueh  larger  than  any  individual  of  the  spcciea  exhibited  at  the  menage- 
ries. The  travellers  cooked  some  of  the  flesh,  which  proved  to  bo  very 
unctuous,  but  not  unpleasant  to  the  taste.  All  who  partook  of  it,  how- 
ever, Avere  very  sick  afterwards.  It  appears  that  the  Uuer  formed  a 
part  of  the  mess  which  our  travellers  obtained  from  the  carcass  of  this 
bear ;  their  sickness  is  attributed  to  this  circumstance,  as  it  is  a  general 
belief  among  the  Greenlandcrs  that  the  livers  of  bears  arc  poisonous. 
No  Grecnlandor  can  bo  persuaded  to  cat  this  part  of  the  animal,  and 
those  of  our  people  who  used  it  for  food,  evep  in  small  quantities, 
experienced  some  disagreeable  effects  afterwards.  The  usual  conse- 
quences were  nausea,  vomiting,  and  eruptions  of  the  skin ;  and,  as 
these  symptoms  invariably  followed  the  eating  of  bear's  liver,  it  is 
highly  probable  that  the  opinion  of  the  Esquimaux,  in  relation  to  its 
unwholesome  qualities,  is  well  founded.  By  the  way,  it  may  bo  re- 
marked that  the  flesh  of  the  polar  bear  is  far  inferior,  as  an  article  of 
diet,  to  the  meat  of  the  black  bear,  which  is  found  in  more  southern 
latitudes.  The  former  has  a  fishy  taste,  which  is  offensive  to  some 
palates,  and  besides,  the  meat  is  harder  and  more  indigestible  than  that 
of  the  black  bear. 

After  a  journey  of  several  days  continuance,  the  travellers  arrived 
at  the  provision  depot,  which  had  been  made,  (as  I  related  before,)  iu 
the  autumn ;  but  they  found,  to  their  great  disappointment,  that  this 
depot  had  been  overhauled  by  burglarious  bears,  notwithstanding  great 
precaution  had  been  used  to  secure  the  property  from  depredation. 
An  enclosure  had  been  made  with  stones,  blocks  of  ice  and  snow,  and 
the  whole  was  cemented  together  by  throwing  water  on  the  pile, 
•which  being  instantly  frozen  formed  a  compact  mass.  The  roof  of  the 
enclosure  was  formed  in  a  similar  manner;  but  the  bears  were  cunning 
and  skillful  enough  to  force  an  enti-ance  and  carry  off  the  spoils.  All 
the  provisions  left  for  our  use  was  of  such  a  quality  as  their  ursine 
lordships  contemptuously  rejected ;  and  it  seemed  that  they  had  taken 
a  malicious  pleasure  in  playing  indelicate  tricks  with  some  of  the 
victuals  which  they  did  not  consider  good  enough  to  be  eaten. 

At  this  point,  the  dog-sledge  was  laden  with  as  much  provisions  as  it 
could  conveniently  carry,  and  was  despatched  on  a  journey  towards  the 
north,  with  a  travelling  party  consisting  of  two  persons.  They  followed 
the  direction  of  the  glacier,  which  runs  almost  due  north,  and  after 
some  very  toilsome  travelling  over  rough  ice,  they  came  to  the  entrance 
of  another  channel  running  to  the  north,  in  lat.  80°,  long.  67°  w.  from 
Greenwich.     In  this  channel  they  found  open  water  and  abundance  of 


irig 

All 

Nine 

Lken 

the 


SONNTAO  8   NAIUUTIVE  OP  THE   UUINNELL  EXI'tUITIuN. 


65 


living  animals,  especially  aquatic  l/irda.  On  the  oaatcrn  shore,  there  waa 
was  much  ice,  of  a  formation  so  rugged  as  to  prevent  them  from  con- 
tinuing their  journey,  for  more  than  ninety  miles  in  a  northerly  direction. 
At  this  point,  there  is  a  precipitoua  cape,  and  beyond  this  all  appearance 
of  ice  ceases.  The  channel  is  between  thirty  and  forty  miles  >Tide,  and 
the  land  on  the  west  side  appeared  to  be  quite  elevated ;  so  much  so 
that  it  was  seen,  at  a  very  great  distance,  in  a  northerly  direction,  from 
the  last  point  which  this  travelling  party  was  able  to  roach.  From 
■what  has  been  stated  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  situatior,  of  this  high 
land  must  bo  north  of  82°  latitude.  A  ,;ale  from  the  nor«jh,  which  blow 
for  a  long  time,  did  not  bring  any  ice  down  the  channel.  From  this 
wo  may  conclude  tliat  there  must  be  a  mass  of  open  .vater  beyond  this 
point.  Remains  of  Esquimaux  inhabitants,  consis  ig  chief!',  of  an  old 
sledge,  were  also  found  on  the  eastern  coast  of  this  channc^ 


1.1 '; 
ill:' 


US  it 
the 
Iwed 
ifter 
inco 
from 
le  of 


m  m 


%■ 


ili. 


I  I 


as 

Si 
N 


04 


i-l 

o 


CHAPTER   VII. 

NUMBERS  OF  WALRUSES  OR  SEA-HORSES  ARE  DISCOVERED. — DESCRIP- 
TIOX  OF  THE  APPEARANCE,  HABITS,  AND  PECULIARITIES  OF  THESE 
ANIMALS. — SUMMER  SCENERY  IN  THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS. — VEGETATION. 
— ANIMAL    LIFE. — ARCTIC   BIRDS,    BEARS,   FOXES   AND   RABBITS. 

In  the  channel  spoken  of  at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter,  vast 
numbers  of  walruses  were  discovered.  As  these  animals  have  not 
been  very  accurately  described  by  travelers  and  natural  historians,  I 
ffill  here  give  the  reader  a  description,  which  may  not  bo  found  unin- 
teresting. The  walrus  is  much  larger  than  an  ox.  Though  its  forma- 
tion is  similar  to  that  of  the  seal,  or  sea-calf,  and  other  amphibious  animals 
— it  is  never  found  out  of  the  water,  except  when  reposing  on  the  ice. 
The  skin  of  the  walrus  is  covered  with  short  hair,  like  that  of  the  seal ; 
its  mouth  resembles  that  of  the  lion ;  the  head  is  small  in  proportion 
to  the  size  of  the  T)ody,  which  is  very  bulky  and  unwieldy.  The  upper 
part  of  the  face  is  very  much  like  that  of  the  human  species ;  and  the 
„nimal  wears  a  kind  cf  mustache,  which  gives  him  a  military  aspect, 
like  that  of  a  French  officer.  They  have  no  external  ears ;  but  are 
provided  with  four  feet.  Long  tusks  project  from  the  mouth,  one  on 
each  side,  and  these  are  as  good  ivory  as  the  teeth  of  the  elephant. 
The  female  is  often  seen  lying  on  floes  or  cakes  of  ice  watching  the 
gambols  of  her  young  brood,  which  are  usually  two  in  number.  When 
fishermen  approach,  or  any  other  object  alarms  her  maternal  sensibili- 
ties, she  takes  up  her  interesting  offspring,  one  at  a  time,  and  pitches 
them  into  the  sea ;  after  which  she  herself  plunges  in,  seizes  her  babes 
in  her  affectionate  arms,  and  disappears  under  the  ice,  or  water.  The 
female  of  this  species,  as  well  as  of  many  others,  is-  more  ferocious 
than  the  male,  especially  when  she  conceives  it  necessary  to  act  in 
defense  of  her  young.  On  such  occasions,  she  is  sometimes  provoked 
to  make  an  attack  on  the  fishermen  who  approach  her  place  of  resort ; 
she  then  tosses  her  cubs  from  her,  and  with  all  her  force  rushes  against 
the  side  of  the  boat,  as  if  with  the  design  of  crushing  it  by  the  colli- 
sion. In  combat,  this  animal  is  what  some  people  would  term  "  an 
ugly  customer."  It  is  impossible  to  kill  one  unless  you  can  succeed  in 
striking  it  on  the  forehead.    At  all  other  points  they  are  nearly  invuU 

(67) 


'^'j 

1;  >' 

ji;  *■       ,»! 


f 


68 


SONNTAG'S   narrative   of   the   GRINNELIi   EXPEDITION. 


P 

r 


i 


r-  k-l 


lij 


I  k 


nerable.  Walruses  are  more  numerous  on  the  western  coast  of  Spitz- 
bergen  than  in  Baffin's  Bay,  Behring's  Straits,  or  any  other  part  of 
the  Arctic  seas  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  In  fine  weather,  they 
resort  in  large  numbers  to  large  pieces  of  ice  floating  about  the  edges 
of  the  great  marine  glaciers.  Hundreds  of  them  are  often  seen  in  a 
herd,  and  many  different  herds  may  be  in  view  at  the  same  time.  They 
appear  to  enjoy  themselves  very  much,  tumbling  about  on  the  ice  and 
making  the  air  resound  with  their  bellowing,  which  much  resembles 
that  of  bulls.  When  they  fat'f^ue  themselves  with  these  diversions, 
they  betake  themselves  to  rr  .-jse ;  but  these  wary  animals,  before  they 
resign  themselves  to  slvml  er,  always  take  the  precaution  of  appointing 
a  sentinel  to  arouse  thtui  on  the  approach  of  any  danger.  So  univer- 
sal is  the  observance  of  this  precaution,  amongst  the  species,  that  no 
sleeping  herd,  however  small,  is  ever  seen  without  one  wakeful  fellow 
in  their  midst,  who  stretches  his  long  neck  in  the  air  to  the  full  extent 
of  tlie  muscles,  every  half  minute,  and  looks  around  him  with  a  glance 
of  anxious  scrutiny.  In  case  of  any  alarming  appearances,  the  faith- 
ful scntinal  begins  by  attending  to  his  own  safety ;  and,  as  these  ani- 
mals always  lie  huddled  closely  together,  the  motion  of  one  is  imme- 
diately communicated  to  the  whole  group,  which  instantly  begins  "  to 
make  tracks"  toward  the  water.  Having  arrived  at  the  edge,  they 
pitch  in  head-foremost,  sidewise,  and  in  every  imaginable  posture — such 
is  their  hurry  to  escape  from  the  object  of  their  terror. 

On  some  occasions,  however,  they  show  none  of  the  timidity  which 
is  imputed  to  them  in  this  description.  In  the  year  1818,  Captain 
F.  \V.  Beechy,  while  on  an  expedition  to  the  Arctic  seas,  had  a  furious 
assault  made  upon  one  of  his  boats  by  a  herd  of  walruses,  or  sea- 
horses, as  they  are  sometimes  called.  It  required  great  activity  and 
perseverance  on  the  part  of  the  boatmen  to  beat  them  off.  They  rose 
in  groat  numbers  about  the  boat,  snorting  with  rage,  and  rushing  on  to 
meet  their  t.iemy  with  great  intrepidity.  They  attempted  to  upset  the 
boat  by  hooking  their  tusks  to  the  gunwales,  or  by  butting  against  the 
sides  with  their  heads.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  tRe  men  could 
prevent  the  boat  from  being  capsized  by  these  operations.  Old  whal- 
ers believe  that  these  assaults,  which  are  not  of  rare  occurrence,  are 
conducted  and  directed  by  some  particular  walrus  of  a  daring  and  chi- 
valric  disposition,  worthy  to  be  the  commander  of  such  a  warlike  band. 
The  attacks  are  managed  with  as  much  order  and  military  tact,  (to 
say  the  least)  as  many  of  those  which  were  made  by  the  combined 
troops  of  France  and  England,  at  >^ebastopol.  In  the  case,  which  we 
have  just  been  speaking  of,  the  herds  were  so  numerous,  and  one  de> 


u 


Spitz- 
5art  of 
r,  they 
c  edges 
m  in  a 
.  They 
ice  and 
isembles 
ersions, 
jre  they 
pointing 

I  univcr- 
that  no 
il  fellow 

II  extent 
a  glance 
he  faith- 
lese  ani- 
ls imme- 
jins  "  to 
ge,  they 
re — such 

:y  which 
Captain 
furious 
or  sea- 
|vity  and 
icy  rose 
ig  on  to 
Dset  the 
linst  the 
en  could 
|ld  whal-  ■ 
ice,  are 
nd  chi- 
e  band, 
act,  (to 
mbined 
ihich  we 
lone  de- 


sonntaq's  narbative  of  the  orinnell  expedition. 


G9 


tachment  after  another  came  on  so  rapidly,  that  the  party  who  stood 
on  the  defensive  had  scarcely  time  to  load  a  musket ;  and  no  other 
weapons  except  fire-arms  could  have  the  least  effect  on  such  hard- 
skinned  assailants.  The  purser  of  the  English  boat  fortunately  had 
his  gun  loaded ;  and  when  the  whole  crew  were  nearly  exhausted  with 
the  futile  exercise  of  striking  and  punching  at  their  assailants,  he 
snatched  up  his  piece,  thrust  the  muzzle  down  the  throat  of  the  leader, 
and  fired  into  his  bowels.  The  wound  proved  mortal,  and  the  captain 
of  the  marine  corps  fell  back  among  his  companions.  The  latter  de« 
sisted  from  the  attack  to  assemble  round  their  dying  chief,  and  offer 
him  their  condolence  and  assistance.  Tliey  actually  bore  him  off 
with  their  tusks  and  assiduously  prevented  him  from  sinking. 

In  the  year  1608,  one  c  1  these  animals  was  taken  alive  to  England, 
where  it  was  exhibited  to  the  king  and  court,  but  it  died  soon  after  its 
arrival. 

While  on  the  journey  last  spoken  of  we  saw  a  great  many  bears ; 
but  as  they  were  very  shy,  we  succeeded  in  killing  but  two  of  them,  viz., 
an  old  female  and  her  cub.  The  meat  was  given  to  our  dogs.  This 
traveling  party  relumed  to  the  ship  about  the  1st  of  July.  By  this 
time  the  thawing  season,  or  Arctic  summer,  had  commenced.  The 
water  ran  in  large  str'^ams  from  the  hills  and  formed  pools  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  frozen  seu.  These  ponds  were  very  great  obstructions  to 
the  passage  of  the  sleds ;  and,  at  several  places,  they  were  almost  im- 
passable. Snow-blindness  was  a  great  affliction  and  inconvenience  to 
all  our  traveling  parties,  the  disease  being  both  troublesome  and  pain- 
ful. The  party  which  had  separated  from  this  one  on  the  south  side 
of  the  glacier  had  returned  to  the  ship  some  time  before,  all  of  them  so 
much  blinded  that  they  were  scarcely  able  to  find  the  way  back. 

As  the  season  advanced,  the  appearance  of  the  country  began  to  un- 
dergo a  change.  The  snow  disappeared  from  the  south  side  of  those 
hills  which  were  nearly  perpendicular,  showing  the  dark  barren  rock 
without  any  saperincumbent  soil  or  any  appearance  of  vegetation. 
The  white  mf.ntle  of  winter  still  overspread  the  more  sloping  declivi- 
ties, and  the  almost  horizontal  shelves — so  that  the  hills  presented  alter- 
nate horizontal  stripes  of  white  and  dark  brown,  or  gray. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  ravines  were  large  pools  of  water,  formed  by 
the  torrents  of  melted  snow  which  descended  from  the  mountains,  with 
great  power  and  velocity,  leaping  from  rock  to  rock,  and  forming  very 
brilliant  cascades  which  fell  into  the  capacious  reservoirs  below.  Each 
cascade  was  attended  by  a  wreath  of  mist  or  water-cloud,  which  in  re- 
ceiving  the  rays  of  the  sun,  assumed  all  the  colors  of  the  rainb'  w. 


l.,,.T 


1  \.\     1 


.'ill 
>'1 


sonntaq's  narrative  of  the  qrinnell  expedition. 


71 


•n 
H 

< 

a 

l-H 

H 
H 

< 

< 

p 

H 


I 


The  lively  motion  and  variegated  colors  of  the  objects,  the  thunder-liko 
sound  of  the  falling  water  and  the  rolling  stones  over  which  it  flowt'd, 
formed  a  most  striking  contrast  with  the  horrid  gloom  and  stillness  of 
the  Arctic  winter  through  which  we  had  so  lately  passed.  It  was  like 
a  transition  from  death  to  life,  and  produced  a  feeling  of  buoyancy  and 
exhiliration  I  cannot  describe. 

At  some  favored  spots — the  rocks  which  flanked  or  surrounded  the 
cascades  were  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  moss,  very  green  and 
beautiful,  and  occasionally  a  dwarfish  willow  was  seen  projecting  from 
the  clefts,  in  which  some  little  mold  had  accumulated.  The  stem  of 
these  willows  was  seldom  thicker  than  a  man's  little  finrrer.  We  saw, 
besides,  a  few  poppies;  and  a  beautiful  little  floWer  which  sprang  up  in 
some  places  from  the  thin  soil  formed  on  the  surface  of  the  rock.  "We 
observed  that  this  flower  made  its  appearance  as  soon  as  the  snow  dis- 
appeared from  the  ground,  and  its  life  must  have  been  of  short  dura- 
tion, for  we  never  saw  it  in  any  place  which  had  been  freed  from  the 
snow  long  enough  to  become  perfectly  dry.  Occasionally,  likewise, 
we  met  with  small  bunches  of  scurvy  grass  {cochlearia),  which  much 
resembles  the  water-cress  in  appearance  and  character.  It  is  an  edible 
plant,  and  we  sometimes  obtained  enough  of  it  to  make  a  salad — a  very 
great  delicacy  to  people  in  our  situation,  who  had  tasted  no  fresh  ve- 
getables for  many  months.  In  every  place  where  there  was  any  soil, 
something  green  appeared ;  and  the  process  by  which  nature  tries  to 
produce  soil  in  these  stony,  desolate  regions,  is  truly  wonderful.  At 
first,  on  the  naked  rock  the  stone-moss  begins  to  form — tliis  is  so  closely 
connected  with  the  stone  on  which  it  grows,  that  it  appears  to  be  a  com- 
pound of  mineral  and  vegetable  substance — the  dry,  small,  and  almost 
invisible  leaves  appear,  at  a  short  distance,  like  red,  green,  yeliow,  or 
black  spots;  as  these  molder  away,  they  are  succeeded  by  a  more 
dense  and  compact  growth  of  green  moss.  After  a  considerable  time 
this  also  decays,  leaving  a  thin  mold  on  the  rocky  surface  ;  and  this 
mold  becomes  thicker  and  more  susceptible  of  vegetation  every  year. 
From  this  statement  it  must  appear  that  vegetation  is  slowly  but  con- 
stantly advancing  in  these  regions  ;  and,  be  the  cause  what  it  will,  it 
is  obvious  to  me  that  the  climate  itself  is  gradually  improving,  and  that 
the  time  must  come  when  all  this  ground  will  be  inhabitable.  As  more 
depth  of  soil  is  obtained,  higher  orders  of  plants  and  herbs  will  ap- 
pear— birds  visit  the  locality,  and  a  deposit  of  manure  makes  still 
further  improvement  in  the  productive  energy  of  the  ground.  In  all 
places  which  have  been  frequented  by  birds  or  the  Esquimaux,  the  vege- 
tation is  always  most  luxuriant,  and  very  often  in  such  localities  the 


72 


onntag's  narrative  op  the  guinnell  expedition. 


^  J  .:  \i 


Pi .  ' 


earth  is  covered  with  largo  plots  of  grass.  The  Esquimaux  leave 
traces  of  their  presence  at  every  place  which  they  have  visited.  .Ruins 
of  their  huts — circles  of  stones  with  which  they  fasten  their  summer 
tents  to  the  ground — bones  and  skulls  of  the  sea  and  land  animals  in 
which  these  people  make  their  prey — and  sometimes  human  skulls  are 
found  at  the  places  where  they  once  fixed  their  residence. 

The  advance  of  summer  made  a  revival  in  the  animal  kingdom  like- 
wise. The  little  snow  bird  was  the  first  feathered  immigrant  from  more 
southern  regions — snipes,  ducks,  geese,  loons,  and  several  species  of  gulls 
soon  followed,  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  their  eggs,  which  are  easier 
protected  here  from  predatory  animals,  than  in  the  country  where  these 
fowls  pass  their  winter.  The  charming  little  ptarmagan  which  passes 
the  winter  in  this  climate,  now  changed  its  plumage.  The  raven  alone 
underwent  no  variation — for  that  "gentleman  in  black,"  who  inhabits 
all  climates,  never  changes  his  sable  habiliments.  This  increase  of  ani- 
mal life  was  not  so  much  observed  near  the  ship,  as  it  was  more  to  the 
south,  where  the  water  was  open.  Although  it  was  now  near  the  middle 
of  July,  the  ship  was  surrounded  with  a  belt  of  ice  forty  miles  in  breadth, 
which  separated  it  from  the  open  sea. 

Foxes,  which  could  often  be  seen  and  caught  in  winter,  now  became 
scarce.  These  animals  are  very  different  from  the  foxes  of  our  own 
country — they  are  of  two  distinct  varieties ;  one  kind  is  white,  and  the 
other  dark  bluish  gray.  They  are  smaller  than  the  foxes  of  southern 
latitudes ;  the  blue  ones,  as  they  are  called,  have  a  very  fine  fur.  They 
feed  chiefly  on  birds,  which  they  catch  with  great  dexterity.  Some- 
times they  follow  the  bear  as  jackalls  do  the  lion — to  pick  up  the 
remnants  of  the  larger  animal's  banquets.  During  the  winter  the  foxes 
thronged  about  our  ship  and  made  strenuous  efforts  to  break  open  the 
store-bouse  in  which  our  provisions  were  deposited  on  one  of  the  small 
islands,  situated  near  our  winter  harbor.  We  caught  numbers  of  them  in 
stone  traps ;  some  of  them  were  kept  alive  and  domesticated  on  board, 
where  they  ran  about  the  deck  and  became  the  pets  of  the  sailors. 
They  are  easily  tamed,  and  when  permitted  to  range  through  the 
vessel  they  destroyed  the  rats  and  mice  very  effectively.  In  fact,  no  cat 
or  terrier  could  perform  this  duty  more  faithfully. 

The  rabbit  of  this  country  differs  greatly  from  the  common  Ameri- 
can rabbit — being  much  larger,  (some  of  them  weighing  more  than  tea 
pounds,)  and  they  are  perfectly  white.  We  saw  no  walrus ;  they  are 
very  scarce,  or  perhaps  there  are  none  of  them  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  Baffin's  Bay.  We  saw  some  foot-marks  there,  which  were  either 
those  of  a  Avolf  or  of  a  very  large  dog.     Several  reindeer  were  shot. 


1 

T 
n 

tl 

B( 

m 


{'■'    ''If 


SONNTAQ's   narrative   op  the   QRINNELIi  EXPEDITION 


73 


These  animals  are  very  scarce  and  very  shy  in  this  northern  country. 
The  Esquimaux  never  catch  any  here,  as  they  cannot  approach  them 
near  enough  for  the  purpose.  The  flesh  of  these  deer,  and  that  of 
the  seal,  was  very  useful  to  the  ship's  company  as  a  remedy  for  the 
scurvy,  some  slight  cases  of  which  appeared  among  us  in  the  spring 
months. 


W 


THREE    GRAVES    DISCOVERED    BY    CAPT.     PENNY. 


o 

< 


a 


n 

P4 
O 

EH 

w 

cs 
I— ( 

1-4 

P3 
» 

H 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

TERRIFIC  WATER  SPOUT. — A  THRILLING  SCENE. — LARGE  FIRE  BALL 
PRECIPITATED  INTO  THE  SEA. — SEALS,  AND  TUEIR  MODE  OF  HIDING. — 
WEARISOME  JOURNEY  ACROSS  THE  ICE. — HOW  THE  ESQUIMAUX  HUNT 
SEALS. — WATER  TORRENTS. — WE  PREPARE  TO  SPEND  ANOTHER  WINTER 
IN  OUR  SHIP,  WITHOUT  FIRES  AT  NIGHT. — GREAT  SUFFERING. — 
FAILURE  or   DR.    KANE'S   PARTY   TO   REACH    BEECHY   ISLAND. 

While  we  were  off  Clermont  Tonnere,  we  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
a  water-spout  of  more  than  ordinary  sw\  It  approached  us  in  a  very 
awful  and  imposing  manner,  accompanied  by  heavy  rain,  thunder  and 
lightning.  The  obscurity  of  the  atmosphere  prevented  us  from  seeing 
the  dangerous  marine  prodigy  until  it  was  very  near  the  ship.  As 
soon  as  we  were  within  the  sphere  of  its  influence,  a  gust  of  wind  struck 
the  ship  SO  suddenly  that  she  was  almost  thrown  on  her  beam-ends. 
All  hands  were  immediately  engaged  in  taking  in  the  sails ;  but  before 
this  could  be  done,  some  of  the  canvass,  especially  the  fore  top-sail,  was 
split  into  shreds.  The  wind  blew  with  astonishing  violence,  momenta- 
rily changing  its  direction,  as  if  it  were  sweeping  around  in  short 
spirals.  The  rain,  which  fell  in  torrents,  was  precipitated  in  curves, 
with  intervals  of  cessation.  Amidst  this  thick  shower,  the  water-spout 
was  discovered.  It  extended,  in  a  tapering  form,  from  a  dense  stratum 
of  cloud  to  within  thirty  feet  of  the  water,  where  it  was  hid  by  the  foam 
of  the  sea,  which  was  whirled  upward  with  a  tremendous  gyration. 
These  water-spouts  are  of  common  occurrence  in  the  northern  seas. 
In  1826,  a  similar  spectacle  was  witnessed  by  Captain  Beechy's  explor- 
ing party,  which  was  then  detained  by  the  ice  in  the  Arctic  ocean. 
Captain  Beechy,  in  his  report  of  this  phenomenon,  says  that  just  before 
the  water-spout  appeared,  a  large  fire-ball  was  precipitated  into  the  sea. 
One  of  his  boats  was  so  completely  enveloped  in  lightning  that  Lieu- 
tenant Belcher  thought  it  advisable  to  get  rid  of  the  anchor  by  hanging 
it  some  fathoms  under  the  water,  and  to  put  the  seamen's  muskets 
under  a  cover.  From  the  account  given  by  their  oflScers,  who  happened 
to  be  at  some  distance  from  the  ship  at  the  time  of  the  occurrence,  it 
appears  that  the  column  of  the  watcr-spout  first  descended  in  a  spiral 
form,  until  it  met  the  column  ascending  from  the  sea.     A  second  col- 

(75) 


i 


'n 


7G 


SONNTAO's   NAURATIVE   OP  THE  ORINNELL  EXPEDITIO!^. 


rnnn,  and  a  third,  were  afterward  formed  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
first ;  and  finally,  these  all  united  in  one  largo  column.  This  again 
separated  into  three  small  spirals,  and  then  dispersed. 


'': 


1  W  ATE  R-S  TOUT. 

In  oar  wearisome  journey  across  the  ice,  we  had  littP^  time  to  hunt 
for  animals.  A  considerable  number  of  seals  was  shot  during  tho 
spring  and  summer.  Thoy  lie  scattered  about  on  tho  ice  during  these 
seasons;  but  they  always  take  care  to  be  near  an  "air  hole,"  so  that 
they  may  creep  in  and  make  their  escape  as  soon  as  any  living 
thing  approaches  thrm,  or  the  slightest  noise  is  heard.  The  hunter 
must,  therefore,  be  very  much  on  the  alert,  if  he  hopes  to  come  within 
shooting  distance  before  they  retire  from  his  observation.  The  Esqui- 
maux creep  along  the  ice,  screened  from  the  sight  of  the  seals  by  an 
interposing  hummock,  and  by  this  means  approach  near  enough  to  spear 
or  harpoon  the  animals.  But  the  hunter  employed  on  board  of  our 
ship  made  use  of  a  small  sledge,  on  which  was  a  square  screen  of  white 
cotton  cloth,  measuring  about  four  feet  each  way,  behind  which  he  con- 
cealed himself,  pushing  the  sled  along  before  him  until  he  came  near 
enough  to  the  seals  to  obtain  a  good  shot.  In  the  middle  of  the  screen 
was  a  small  hole  through  which  the  rifle  was  pointed  and  fired  at  the 
unsuspecting  animals,  who  were  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
tricks  of  human  rascality  to  shield  themselves  from  the  unseen  danger. 
When  the  seal  is  not  killed  on  the  spot,  ho  usually  contrives  to  get  into 
the  water  and  effect  his  retreat,  before  the  hunter  can  overtake  him. 

Up  to  the  middle  of  July  the  ice  continued  unbroken  for  many  miles 
around  our  vessel,  and  it  became  doubtful  whether  it  would  be  suffi- 
ciently broken  up  during  that  season  to  liberate  the  ship  from  her  gelid 


f  ■  !  "^  ''1 

f  1  i  1 1  It 


SONNTAQ  S   NAUtlATIVE   OF   THE   niUNNKLT.   EXPEDITIOK. 


77 


fetters.  Every  evening,  when  the  weather  was  clear  and  calm,  a  thin 
coat  of  new  ice  formed  on  the  surface  of  the  fresh-water  pools  which 
surmounted  the  old  ice-fields.  In  fact,  the  season  showed  all  the  indi- 
cations of  more  than  the  usual  frigidity. 

Our  provisions  were  sufficient,  perhaps,  to  last  through  another  winter, 
but  they  were  not  of  a  kind  or  quality  to  secure  us  from  the  attacks 
of  scurvy,  if  we  should  be  detained  i'  that  region  for  a  great  length 
of  time.  Dr.  Kane  concluded,  therefore,  to  attempt  a  boat  journey  to 
Boechy  Island,  in  Lancaster  Sound,  where  the  head-quarters  of  tho 
English  Arctic  squadron  were  established.  The  party  started  about  the 
middle  of  July  with  a  whale-boat,  which  had  to  be  transported  over  the 
ice  for  about  thirty  miles  before  it  could  be  launched  in  the  open  sea.  A 
large  field  of  ice,  which  extended  across  Baffin's  Bay,  from  Jones'  Sound 
to  Whale  Sound,  offiored  an  insuperable  barrier  to  our  progress.  This,  ice 
was  broken  up  into  pieces  so  small  that  the  boat  could  not  be  transported 
over  them,  and  they  were  too  closely  packed  together  to  permit  the 
boat  to  push  through  them.  In  this  mortifying  state  of  affairs,  all  that  we 
could  do  was  to  surrender  to  necessity,  and  return  to  the  ship.  This, 
in  fact,  we  did  after  we  had  remained  at  this  place  for  about  a  week, 
hoping  for  some  favorable  change. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  week  in  August,  a  water  torrent,  which  had 
made  a  small  channel  in  the  harbor,  swept  away  the  broken  ice  to  the 
distance  of  several  hundreds  of  yards  from  the  ship,  and  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  tides  broke  it  up  along  the  shore.  As  the  ship  was  not  im- 
bedded, she  was  soon  afloat,  and  by  blasting  the  ice  around  her  we 
contrived  to  open  a  considerable  space — outside  of  which,  however, 
the  icy  barrier  remained  unbroken.  In  order  to  make  further  attempts 
at  extrication,  we  tried  the  same  expedients  which  we  had  used  for- 
merly when  coming  up  tho  channel.  But  to  saw  a  track  for  a  ship 
through  thirty  miles  of  ice,  and  to  warp  her  along  that  track  afterward, 
are  undertakings  which  might  have  made  Hercules  himself  shrug  his 
shoulders  and  shake  his  head  with  apprehensions  of  a  failure.  As  I  have 
stated  before,  the  belt  of  ice  which  surrounded  the  ship  was  thirty  miles 
in  breadth,  and  new  ice  was  forming  every  day.  After  a  day  spent  in 
great  exertion  by  the  whole  ship's  company,  crew  and  officers,  scarcely 
had  we  advanced  so  much  as  a  ship's  length.  It  was  soon  evident  that 
open  water  could  not  be  gained  within  the  year,  if  our  progress  were 
no  greater  than  this.  However,  the  work  was  continued,  until  nature 
herself  peremptorily  forbade  us  to  proceed.  This  happened  about  the 
middle  of  August,  when  the  new  ice,  which  had  become  strong  enough 
to  bear  the  weight  of  a  man,  connected  all  the  broken  pieces  together 


j;, '  fi 


I '  \\ 


\h 


!«'! 


'Yi 


.Pi  ■,  j ' 

m 

iliili 
Ml- 1 

iiifli 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OP  THE  ORINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


80  firmly  that  it  was  not  possible  to  move  them  out  of  the  way  or  force 
a  passage  between  them.  The  ship  was  therefore  presumed  to  be  fast 
for  another  winter,  and  preparations  were  made  for  spending  it  as  com- 
fortably as  our  much  reduced  means  would  permit.  The  cabin  was  en- 
larged, so  that  the  fore  part  offordod  accommodations  for  the  men,  and 
the  cooking  stove  was  placed  in  the  new  apartment  aft.  Wo  had  but  a 
small  quantity  of  coal  left,  and  so  all  the  spars  which  could  be  spared, 
and  all  the  planks  and  timber  which  could  be  taken  from  tiie  ship  with- 
out making  her  unsoaworthy,  were  cut  up  for  winter  fuel.  Still  there 
was  not  a  sufficiency  of  burning  material  to  enable  us  to  keep  up  fires 
constantly,  and  the  ship's  company  had  to  dispense  with  them  during 
many  of  the  nights.  In  consequence  of  this  privation  the  temperature 
in  the  cabin  was  generally  under  40°,  and  the  cold  was  much  greater 
near  the  floor,  as  the  heat  rapidly  ascends. 

The  Esquimaux  savages,  who  had  not  visited  our  ship  since  May  now 
returned,  as  the  new  ice  had  become  strong  enough  to  bear  them.  They 
exhibited  a  more  unfriendly  disposition  at  this  time  than  they  did  on 
their  former  visit.  Several  articles  were  stolen  by  them ;  among  other 
things  a  buifalo-skin,  which  one  of  the  party  carried  off  with  scarcely 
any  attempt  at  concealment.  A  boat,  which  had  been  left  on  the  shore, 
at  some  distance  from  the  ship,  was  partially  broken  up  by  the  thievish 
scoundrels,  and  the  oars  were  taken  away.  Probably  they  were  encou- 
raged to  commit  these  trespasses  by  the  belief  that  we  were  tied  up, 
like  the  bear  to  the  stake,  without  any  available  means  of  defense. 


>ar'§ 


'fi: 


CHAPTER    IX. 

TROUBLES  AND  DISAPPOINTMENTS. — ANOTHER  WINTER  SETS  IN. — SCAR- 
CITY OF  rnEL. — TWO  BE'RS  VISIT  OUR  SHIP. — A  BATTLE. — SEVERE 
SUFFERING  AND  SICKNESS. — ESQUIMAUX  ARCHITECTURE,  &C. — THEIR 
SLEEPING  APPARATUS. 


From  the  time  of  the  return  of  Dr.  Kane  and  his  boat  party  from 
their  ineffectual  attempt  to  reach  Beechy  Island,  (the  head-quarters 
of  the  English  expedition,)  which  was  on  the  6th  of  August,  the 
anxious  thoughts  and  hopej  of  all  were  directed  to  the  breaking  up 
of  the  ice,  which  we  expected  to  take  place.  The  season  had  effected 
a  good  deal  i-oward  bringing  about  this  much-desired  event.  The  frozen 
masses  in  the  middle  of  the  Sound,  and  indeed  those  outside  of  the  Bay, 
were  in  motion.  The  ice  in  closer  proximity  to  the  vessel  was  very 
rotten,  especially  in  those  spots  where  the  coal  ashes  had  been  thrown, 
the  black  surface  absorbing  more  heat  from  the  rays  of  the  sun.  Ice- 
bergs, moving  in  stately  march,  were  seen  in  the  seaward  horizon ;  and 
even  streaks  of  open  water  could  be  discovered  sparkling  in  the  sun- 
shine. l)r.  Kane  had  approached  with  his  boat  within  five  miles  of  the 
open  water,  by  means  of  a  "  lead,"  or  open  channel  among  the  ice, 
which  extended  along  the  shore. 

When  the  water  streams  had  partly  opened  a  passage  for  the  ship,  as 
mentioned  on  a  preceding  page,  she  was  warped,  close  in  shore,  around 
the  islands  which  lay  to  the  westward,  and  along  the  coast  which  ex- 
tended toward  the  north  of  the  harbor.  In  this  way,  with  immense 
labor  and  difiiculty,  we  proceeded  about  a  mile — still,  for  five  miles  at 
least,  an  almost  unbroken  sheet  of  ice  was  interposed  between  the  ship 
and  the  open  water.  The  last  days  of  August  found  the  avenue,  or 
"lead"  of  water,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  ship,  choked  with  ice. 
Nevertheless,  the  new  ice,  which  formed  in  rather  strong  cakes  every 
night,  was  not  yet  solid  enough  to  last  through  the  winter.  But  very 
Boon  this  state  of  things  underwent  a  change.  Before  the  end  of 
August  the  ice  would  bear  a  heavy  weight,  and  would  have  almost 
borne  a  wagon  and  team  of  horses  in  those  places  where  it  had  formed 
for  several  nights  in  succession  and  remained  unbroken  through  the 
following  days. 
(80) 


sonntag's  naruative  of  the  grinnell  expedition. 


81 


— SCAR- 
-SEVERE 
— THEIR 


rty  from 
quarters 
;ust,  the 
iking  up 
effected 
ae  frozen 
the  Bay, 
was  very 
I  thrown, 
m.     Ice- 
^on;  and 
the  sun- 
es  of  the 
the  ice, 

ship,  as 
around 
lich  ex- 
immense 
miles  at 
the  ship 
^enue,  or 
with  ice. 
cs  every 
But  very 
end  of 
almost 
d  formed 
ough  the 


During  this  period  of  suspense,  the  hopes  of  the  party  had  depended 
on  the  probability  that  a  heavy  gale  of  wind  and  the  consequent  com- 
motion of  the  sea  would  break  up  the  icy  inclosure ;  and  you  may 
imagine  with  what  interest  every  change  in  the  weather  was  observed. 
About  a  week  after  the  solidification  of  the  water  was  complete,  a 
I  heavy  gale  did  come  on ;  but  it   came  too  late  to  do  us  any  good. 

Had  this  gale  visited  us  one  week  sooner,  it  might  have  realized  our 
hopes,  by  releasing  us  from  the  hideous  bondage  in  which  it  was  now 
our  evident  doom  to  be  confined  for  another  long  period  in  cold  and 
darkness. 

All  the  signs  of  approaching  winter  were  now  visible.  The  summits 
of  the  loftiest  hills  reflected  the  pale  rays  of  the  setting  sun  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  the  horizon  opposite  the  sun  was  draperied 
with  a  dark  purple.  The  crepusculum  above  the  declining  luminary 
was  variegated  with  tints  suggestive  of  cold ;  but  still  beautiful,  dis- 
playing a  coronal  of  splendid  violet  and  all  the  prismatic  colors.  The 
shadow  of  the  icebergs  became  of  a  dark  greenish  color  and  a  snowy 
shroud  was  spread  over  the  shelves  and  ridges  of  rock  and  the  whole 
landscape.  The  advance  of  winter  was  regarded  now  with  a  feeling  of 
apprehension  and  more  unpleasant  forebodings  than  we  had  expe- 
rienced before ;  because  we  were  but  indifferently  provided  with  means 
and  appliances  of  warmth  and  comfort.  However,  we  continued  to 
make  every  preparation  our  circumstances  permitted.  Fuel  was  the 
chief  object  of  our  solicitude.  The  coal  was  soon  exhausted.  All  the 
loose  spars,  planks,  and  timber  about  the  ship  were  cut  up  for  firewood, 
and  this  stock  was  likewise  consumed  in  the  early  part  of  the  winter. 
Stern  necessity  then  compelled  rs  to  make  depredations  on  the  ship 
itself;  we  cut  away  the  bulwarks,  the  monkey-rail,  many  of  the 
strengthening  beams,  the  sheathing  of  the  deck,  and  all  the  wood  that 
coulil  be  spared.  All  this  was  done  under  the  directions  of  our  able  and 
indefatigable  carpenter,  who  was  constantly  engaged  in  the  most  ener- 
getic efforts  to  obtain  fuel  for  the  winter, — notwithstanding  the  state 
of  liis  health  unfitted  him  in  a  measure  for  these  tasks,  the  performance 
of  uliich  required  much  exposure  and  hardship. 

As  our  stock  of  fuel  would  allow  us  to  keep  but  one  fire,  it  was  ne- 
cessary that  the  whole  ship's  company  should  live  in  the  small  cabin, 
to  the  length  of  which  about  twelve  feet  had  been  added.  In  this 
apartment  our  cooking  and  all  the  other  domestic  operations  of  the  ship 
were  performed.  The  temperature  was  seldom  so  high  that  water  would 
not  freeze  in  some  part  of  the  room,  and  it  often  froze  within  ten  feet 
of  the  stove.  One  of  our  greatest  difiiculties  was  that  of  keeping  the 
6 


\k\\ 


H 


V  II 


:ff 


w 


T  I  I 

i    ■ 


[I    I 


'1  (I  •:•' 


■a  i 

I 


ft 


!;lf 


1  ::  .;! 


a 


1 

Hi 


.;>,    55 


SONNTALi's  NARRATIVE   OF  THE  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


8? 


mattresses  dry,  as  the  condensation  of  moisture  on  the  sides  and  in  the 
bottoms  of  the  bunks  produced  a  constant  dampness  among  the  bed- 
ding. The  scurvy,  in  a  severe  and  dangerous  form,  prevailed  among 
our  people.  All  of  the  company,  except  four  or  five,  were  disabled  by 
this  disease,  at  one  time  or  another,  during  the  winter ;  and  the  greater 
number  of  them  were  sick  with  it  almost  without  intermission. 

About  the  end  of  October,  two  bears,  an  old  she-one  and  her  cub, 
were  killed  very  near  the  ship ;  and  although  at  some  former  period* 
we  had  rejected  the  flesh  of  the  white  bear  as  unsavory  and  unwhole- 
some food,  we  were  now  glad  to  obtain  a  supply  of  it,  as  fresh  meat  of 
any  kind  had  become  quite  a  rarity.  These  bears  afforded  us  about  a 
thousand  pounds  of  moat  of  an  antiscorbutic  quality;  whereas  our 
only  animal  food  before  we  succeeded  in  killing  these  creatures,  were 
suited  pork,  beef,  seal's  flesh,  &c.,  all  of  which,  on  account  of  its  saline 
nature,  tends  to  produce  the  scurvy  and  to  aggravate  the  disease  where 
it  already  exists. 

These  bears  had  evidently  been  impelled  by  hunger  to  approach  our 
ship.  Their  object  appeared  to  be  the  robbing  of  our  depository  of 
provisions;  and  in  this  enterprise  they  exhibited  a  boldness  which  was 
worthy  of  a  better  cause.  When  they  ^\ere  first  discovc.-ed,  they  had 
mounted  a  pile  of  provision  barrels  situated  about  thirty  yards  from 
the  ship ;  and  the  old  she-one  backed  down  from  the  heap  Avith  one  of 
the  barrels  grasped  in  her  fore  legs.  "\Vh  -ii  she  had  descended  to  the 
ice,  she  emptied  out  the  contents  of  the  b^' v^.l,  and  by  significant  ges- 
tures and  her  own  example,  invited  Lor  cu')  io  Lualve  a  hearty  repast. 
In  the  mean  time,  all  the  men  and  dogs  on  board  had  been  mustered  to 
repel  the  robbers,  and  the  dogs  commciiced  the  at>;\ck  with  admirable 
resolution.  The  old  bear  finding  tb.iu  r.he  must  fight  for  her  dinner 
before  she  would  be  permitted  to  enjoy  it,  seized  the  lartjie  dogs  in  her 
fore  paws  and  pitched  them  to  a  considerable  distance,  apparently  with 
the  greatest  case.  As  for  her  biped  enemies,  she  appeared  to  treat  them 
with  supreme  contempt,  as  objects  too  insignificant  to  ucsorve  her  notice; 
and  even  the  repeated  volleys  discharged  from  our  fire-arms  for  a  while 
made  no  perceptible  impression  on  this  haughty  and  heroic  old  lady. 
After  a  while,  however,  she  began  to  think  that  something  serious  was 
to  be  apprehended  even  from  us.  One  of  our  sho'.s  badly  wounded 
her ;  but  she  was  not  yet  disabled,  and  she  began  to  beat  a  retreat  in 
good  order.  But  her  flight  was  retarded  by  the  inability  of  her  cub 
to  keep  pace  with  her,  one  of  its  legs  having  been  broken  by  a  pistol 
ball  from  a  Colt's  revolver,  fired  by  Dr.  Kane.  Two  well-trained  Es- 
quimaux dogs  started  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  animals,  and  annoyed 


:!  ,1 


,'l-'::    I' 


I'-" 


III 


84 


SON N TAG  S   NARRATIVE   OF  THE   GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


m^  1 


the  old  one  on  both  sides.  One  dog  would  assail  her  on  the  right,  and 
■when  she  turned  that  way  to  defend  herself,  the  other  would  make  his 
assault  on  the  left ;  and  so  they  kept  up  the  battle,  assailing  the  retreat- 
ing party  on  each  flank  alternately,  and  with  such  good  generalship, 
that  the  bear  seemed  to  have  the  worst  of  the  engagement  and  the  dogs 
to  require  no  aid  from  their  human  auxiliaries.  Nevertheless  one  of 
our  men  leveled  his  musket  at  the  unfortunate  brute,  and  the  bullet 
inflicted  a  wound  which  made  her  perfectly  helpless,  so  that  she  was 
immediately  dispatched  by  the  combined  forces  of  men  and  dogs. 
This  we  regarded  as  a  more  signal  and  complete  victory  than  that  which 
was  obtained  over  the  Jiussian  bear  by  the  combined  forces  of  France 
and  England.    • 


h  -r^-^aif  ift^i 


^MW- 


POLAR    BEAR. 


The  winter,  at  the  very  commencement,  was  unusually  cold,  even  for 
that  climate.  In  November  and  December,  the  temperature  was  often 
from.  50°  to  60°  below  zero.  Snow  was  much  more  abundant  than  it 
was  in  the  first  winter  of  our  icy  captivity.     Cold  gales  of  wind  were  also 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OP   THE  GRINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


85 


■  Pi.l 


i|ii 


I    I!:  : 


very  frequent.  The  Esqui"^<iux  suffered  a  good  deal  from  the  severity 
of  the  weather.  As  early  as  November  they  began  to  emigrate  to  the 
north ;  this  to  the  uninitiated  will  seem  to  be  an  unaccountable  move- 
ment ;  but  by  way  of  explanation,  I  may  state  that  the  freezing  begins 
southwardly.  About  77°  latitude,  strong  currents  and  the  absence  of 
"  pack-ice"  keeps  the  water  longer  open ;  and  for  hunting  the  walrus, 
these  savages  find  that  the  ed^e  of  the  ice  is  the  most  favorable 
locality. 

There  are,  between  latitudes  76^  and  78°  20',  about  ten  little  Esqui- 
maux villages,  each  containing  from  two  to  five  huts,  but  they  are  not 
all  inhabited  at  the  same  time.  These  huts  are  most  commonly  built 
of  stone,  and  they  are  always  situated  near  the  water.  They  have  a 
dome-like  shape  ;  the  diameter  of  the  interior  being  about  eight  feet  and 
the  height  about  five  feet.  The  roofs  likewise  are  made  of  stone,  and 
in  the  construction  of  them  the  Esquimaux  show  a  peculiar  art.  Some- 
times large  whalebones  are  used  for  timber  or  rafters  to  support  the 
stone  roof.  All  unnecessary  holes  and  crevices  in  these  dwellings  are 
carefully  stopped  up  with  moss ;  and  in  winter  the  whole  building  is 
covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  snow.  The  way  in  which  they  put  this  on 
is  somewhat  artificial.  With  a  sort  of  a  hatchet  made  of  the  tusk  of  a 
walrus,  the  Esquimaux  architect  cuts  out  blocks  of  snow  about  a  foot 
square  from  places  where  this  gelid  material  has  been  drifted  in  piles 
or  ridges  by  the  wind.  These  blocks  are  used  for  tiling  and  stuccoing 
their  dwellings  ;  and  being  very  neatly  put  on,  they  give  the  building 
somewhat  the  appearance  of  white  marble,  besides  making  it  more  air- 
tight and  comfortable. 

A  long  tunnel,  built  of  the  same  materials  as  the  hut,  forms  the  en- 
trance. This  tunnel,  or  vestibule,  is  just  wide  and  high  enough  for  a 
man  to  creep  through ;  and  the  floor  of  the  hut  is  elevated  about  one 
foot  above  the  floor  of  the  tunnel,  leaving  a  small  aperture  through 
which  the  Esquimaux  enters  his  habitation,  the  passage  being  almost  as 
difiicult  as  Ilans  Spiegler  (in  German  story)  found  the  entrance  to 
Paradise.  The  hole  or  portal  is  never  more  than  a  foot  high,  and  about 
as  broad  as  the  master  of  the  mansion's  shoulders;  so  that  if  any  larger 
individual  were  to  attempt  to  follow  him,  he  would  probably  be  stuck 
fast  in  the  gateway.  At  three  sides  of  the  hut  (the  entrance  being  on 
the  fourth  side),  there  are  elevated  platforms, , (or  bunks,  as  the  sa'lora 
would  call  them,)  which  do  the  duty  of  bedsteads,  beneath  vhich  pro- 
visions, boots,  hunting  implements,  and  all  sorts  of  lumber  a.  3  stowed 
away.  The  platforms,  bedsteads,  or  bunks  (or  whotever  title  you 
may  choose  to  give  them),  are  heaped  with  dried  moss  and  grass  or  hay 


■  III   ■  I 


i  1' 


m 


".ii'l 


y'M;  I 


mm 


m 


|!'ii'!|!|!i|fl'^fi!|l!!|!l||!'i|''''''ii:!i'i!rip 

illl!' 


<|l!;  hiliUll! 


''I'lllil'iljl 

*',  IT 


I 


^'•^:i!!|!|ii 


'!,!; 


iP1iii''',,:i;;!!|i;|!!i!i|P:|ii 


I        II 


'1i||!lfc 

l! 


l|i!l!!l{l!llll!  Il:i' 

ili 


III       I 


i::l,i-i:|,|,ili 


lllllll     i 


111 


'wit 

'lil'l  llll'l' 


iW' : 


111  I'i 
'III 

sliiii 

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ill 


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I 


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''IB 


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'if 

'll''  1)1'' 
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W"'"i 


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1,11   ij       I  111'! 

ii!!!!.' 


!''  II 


llllil|iili'illil:Piili!ii<ilii!lilliii:|iii!l>!::i 


'I'iliiii 
"i  illlliiilli 


iillteiM, 


jijjiiiiiii 

''''I      Ml'i 


li  iijeiiiiiiiiii 


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EH 


ft 

i 

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EH 

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i-t 
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O 


SONNTAQ's   narrative  op  the   grin  NELL  EXPEDITION. 


87 


— which  makes  a  warm  and  luxurious  couch.  It  is  a  custom  among 
these  people  to  go  to  bed  with  their  boots  on,  though  the  same  trick  in 
civilized  countries  is  regarded  as  symptomatic  of  an  advanced  stage  of 
intoxication.  The  Esquimaux  likewise  wear  their  mittens  in  bed;  and 
as  both  boots  and  mittens  are  pretty  well  stuffed  with  moss  or  dried 
hay,  the  hands  and  feet  of  the  sleeper  are  well  protected  from  the 
attacks  of  Jack  Frost.  The  sleeping  bunks  occupy  so  much  space  in 
the  interior  of  the  hut,  that  little  more  than  a  square  yard  is  left  clear 
of  the  incumbrance,  and  in  this  small  vacancy  all  the  domestic  opera- 
tions of  the  family  must  be  performed.  Their  mossy  couches  are  cov- 
ered with  sheets  or  blankets  made  of  seal-skins  or  bear-skins,  and  the 
walls  of  the  hut  are  tapestried  with  the  same  articles.  These  skins 
in  the  summer  time  are  removed  from  the  huts  and  used  for  cover- 
ing tents,  in  which  these  savages  reside  during  the  warmer  season. 
Across  the  top  of  the  hut  several  poles  are  extended,  on  which  the 
skins  are  stretched  to  be  dried  in  the  process  of  preparing  them  for 
use. 


''II 


m 


I 
i 


so 


,' 


CHAPTER    X. 

ARCTIC  SPORTSMANSHIP. — FREQUENT  VISITS  OF  THE  ESQUIMAUX. — LIFB 
IN  THE  ESQUIMAUX  HUTS. — MODES  OF  COOKING,  COOKING  UTENSILS, 
ETC. — OCCUPATIONS  OF  MEN,  WOMEN,  AND  CHILDREN. — LAZINESS  AND 
GLUTTONY  OF  THE  ESQUIMAUX. — THEIR  HUNTING  EXCURSIONS  :  DIF- 
FICULTIES AND  DANGERS  THEREOF. — INTERESTING  ANECDOTE  OF  TWO 
YOUNG  ESQUIMAUX  HUNTERS. 

A  FEW  ptarmagan  and  rabbits  were  shot,  while  we  had  suflScient  day- 
light to  answer  the  purpose  of  hunting.  This  duty  devolved  chiefly  on  Mr. 
Petersen,  our  Danish  interpreter,  and  Hans,  the  Esquimaux  boy,  whom 
we  had  shipped  on  the  south  coast  of  Greenland.  They  were  both  good 
marksmen  and  were  very  fond  of  the  sport,  in  spite  of  all  the  incon- 
veniences which  attended  it  in  that  region.  The  flesh  of  the  animals 
which  they  "  bagged"  was  eaten  raw ;  and  even  in  that  state,  it  was 
found  much  more  wholesome  than  the  salt  provisions  to  which  we  had 
been  confined,  and  which  had  been  the  means  of  introducing  the  scurvy 
among  our  people.  As  soon  as  this  fresh  meat  was  obtained,  the  in- 
valids on  board  began  to  recover. 

The  Esquimaux  savages  now  began  to  honor  us  with  repeated  visits. 
They  brought  with  them  some  fresh  walrus  meat,  and  bartered  it  for 
knives  and  other  small  articles  of  merchandise  with  which  we  were  able  to 
supply  them.  We  sent  Hans  and  one  of  our  men  with  the  dog-sledge  to 
one  of  the  nearest  settlements  of  our  savage  neighbors ;  they  carried 
with  them  some  articles  of  trafiic  for  which  we  wished  to  obtain  more 
fresh  provisions  in  exchange.  This  mission  proved  very  successful,  and 
we  obtained  thereby  an  abundance  of  wholesome  victuals,  the  effect  of 
which  on  our  sick  people  was  wonderful.  In  less  than  a  month  after  the 
arrival  of  these  supplies  all  the  invalids  were  much  better,  and  some  of 
them  were  soon  restored  to  perfect  health. 

Mr.  Petersen,  after  his  return  to  the  ship,  furnished  us  with  some 
other  particulars  concerning  the  Esquimaux  mode  of  living,  which  may 
be  interesting  to  the  reader.  During  the  dark  season,  their  huts  are 
very  well  lighted  by  means  of  two  large  lamps,  which  are  placed  oppo- 
site the  entrance  on  the  edge  of  the  platforms  or  sleeping  bunks  de- 
scribed in  the  preceding  chapter.  These  lamps  are  made  of  soft  stone 
(88) 


and  are  ne; 

about  an  in( 

with  blubbei 

out  in  the  h 

of  an  oblonj 

stone ;  it  is 

drinking  wa 

only  contriv 

stand  the  cr^ 

little  round  ' 

bone  (which 

tutes  for  pi 

walrus.     Thi 

pieces  of  b( 

knives  obtaii 

rudely  consti 

roof,  above 

of  wood  or  b 

horizontal  po 

By  the  sid 

the  mother 

keeps  the  lai 

snow-raeltinir 

water  is  cut  i 

is  piled  up  in 

Within  the 

usually  reside 

occupants,  wi 

temperature, 

zero.     In  co: 

themselves  qi 

bunk,  avoidin 

women  are  se 

at  home,  are 

about  and  ea 

whole  forms  i 

might  contem 

seen  a  better  j 

race,  the  sighl 

have  an  oppoi 

to  the  best  ad 


SONNTAo's   NARRATIVE   OP   THE   ORINNELL   EXl'KDITION. 


89 


and  are  nearly  in  the  form  of  a  half  moon ;  the  hollow  part  inside  is 
about  an  inch  deep  and  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  long,  and  this  is  filled 
with  blubber  or  oil,  the  wick  being  of  dried  moss,  which  is  first  rolled 
out  in  the  hands  to  a  string-like  shape.  Over  each  lamp  hangs  a  pot 
of  an  oblong  shape  about  three  inches  deep,  which  is  likewise  made  of 
stone ;  it  is  suspended  from  the  roof,  and  is  used  for  melting  snow  for 
drinking  water,  and  also  for  cooking  the  meat,  this  being  the  best  and 
only  contrivance  they  have  for  that  purpose.  Around  these  lamps 
stand  the  crockery-ware  or  table  equipments,  consisting  of  two  or  three 
little  round  vessels  made  of  seal-skin  stretched  over  a  framework  of 
bone  (which  serve  them  in  lieu  of  cups  and  saucers),  and  certain  substi- 
tutes for  plates  which  are  made  of  the  shoulder  bhulobono  of  the 
walrus.  They  have  a  kind  of  forks  also,  which  are  nothing  more  than 
pieces  of  bone  pointed  at  one  end.  Sometimes  they  use  metallic 
knives  obtained  from  Europeans ;  but  if  they  have  none  of  these,  knives 
rudely  constructed  of  bone  are  made  to  answer  the  purpose.  Near  the 
roof,  above  the  lamps,  is  a  small  frame  composed  of  transverse  pieces 
of  wood  or  bone,  resembling  our  ungkzed  window-sash,  which  lies  in  a 
horizontal  position,  and  is  used  for  drying  the  clothing. 

By  the  side  of  each  lamp,  there  generally  sits  an  Esquimaux  woman, 
the  mother  of  a  family,  (two  families  usually  occupy  each  hut,)  who 
keeps  the  lamp  trimmed  and  attends  to  the  boiling  of  the  meat  or  the 
snow-melting.  The  snow  which  is  intended  for  conversion  to  drinking 
water  is  cut  in  square  cakes  of  about  one  foot  in  size,  and  in  this  form 
is  piled  up  in  the  hut  ready  for  use. 

Within  the  small  interior  of  one  of  these  huts  from  eight  to  ten  people 
usually  reside,  and  sometimes  a  larger  number.  The  animal  heat  of  the 
occupants,  with  the  radiation  of  two  or  three  large  lamps,  raises  the 
temperature,  even  in  the  coldest  days  of  winter,  to  90°  or  100°  above 
zero.  In  consequence  of  this  excess  of  warmth,  the  inmates  strip 
themselves  quite  naked,  and  sit  or  lie  in  crowds  on  the  bed-place  or 
bunk,  avoiding  the  floor,  where  the  cold  air  always  settles.  Here  the 
women  are  seen  attending  to  their  domestic  avocations ;  the  men,  when 
at  home,  are  either  sleeping  or  eating,  and  the  children  are  waddling 
about  and  eating  likewise,  whenever  they  have  an  o[)portuuity.  The 
whole  forms  a  group  which  an  admirer  of  unadorned  human  nature 
might  contemplate  with  pleasure ;  but  to  most  spectator.s  who  have 
Been  a  better  style  of  living  and  more  favorable  specimens  of  the  human 
race,  the  sight  is  any  thing  but  agreeable.  In  one  of  these  huts  you 
have  an  opportunity  to  inspect  the  anatomical  structure  of  these  people 
to  the  best  advantage,  as  their  personal  charms  are  not  confiealed  under 


1    ^^^^H 

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BONNTAO  8  NARRATIVE  OP  TOE  OBINNELt.  EXrEDITinN. 


PI 


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any  kind  of  drapery.  The  huge  square  head,  the  muscular  and  almost 
herculean  arma,  and  the  wcll-dcvclopud  hreast  of  the  Esquhnaux,  form 
a  striking  contrast  with  the  thin,  short  legs  and  small  feet.  The  upper 
part  of  the  figure  is  that  of  a  giant :  the  lower  part  is  that  of  a  child. 
Although  I  am  not  of  a  very  facetious  temper,  I  never  could  look 
at  these  undrapericd  figures  without  lau;^'liing.  Their  appearance 
reminded  me  of  those  incongruous  pictures  which  are  seen  in  the  comio 
almanacs.  The  disproportionate  form  of  the  Es([uimaux  has  hecn 
observed  by  former  travelers,  and  it  has  been  accounted  for  by  referring 
to  the  circumstance  that  the  men     ^  this  tribe  pass  a  great  part  of  their 


time  in  their  boats  or  kaiaks,  in 


their  upper  limbs  are  exercised 


by  rowing,  while  their  legs  remui  perfectly  inactive.  But  this  expla- 
nation will  not  answer  the  purpose.  The  Es(iuimaux  of  the  northern 
coast  of  Greenland,  in  whom  this  personal  deformity  is  most  conspi- 
cuous, have  no  kaiaks,  and  never  learn  to  handle  the  oar.  They  exer- 
cise their  legs  I  believe  nearly  as  much  as  their  arras ;  for  when  travel- 
ing they  run  as  much  behind  the  sledge  as  they  ride  in  it;  and,  what  is 
Btill  more  to  the  purpose,  the  children  have  the  same  corporal  peculiarity 
before  they  begin  to  exercise  either  their  legs  or  their  arms.  I  will  say 
nothing  about  the  corresponding  formation  of  the  ivomeii,  as  delicacy 
forbids  to  touch  on  that  branch  of  the  subject ;  but  it  appears  to  mc 
that  the  oddity  of  shape  observed  among  these  people  is  hereditary  and 
a  peculiarity  of  the  tribe. 

The  occupations  of  the  women,  while  they  arc  in  the  hut,  or  tent, 
are  not  much  varied ;  the  females  attend  to  the  lamps,  (as  observed 
before,)  they  do  the  cooking,  sew  the  men's  clothing,  and  attend  to  the 
children.  Their  maternal  affections  appear  to  be  very  strong ;  but  no 
signs  of  attachment  or  endearment  among  grown  people — husbands  and 


wives,  for  instance — are   ever  witnessed  by 


strangers. 


Perhaps   tho 


men,  like  French  and  Italian  gentlemen,  are  ashamed  to  be  seen  in  tho 
act  of  kissing  their  own  wives ;  but  we  never  could  discover  that  they 
were  at  all  acquainted  with  the  art  of  kissing,  or  that  any  practiced  it 
in  any  circumstances  whatever.  My  young  readers  of  both  sexes  may 
find  it  difficult  to  believe  this  statement,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true  to 
the  letter. 

The  children  assist  their  mother  in  the  preparation  of  skins  for  wear- 
ing apparel ;  the  boys  make  fox-traps,  which  they  set  along  the  beach. 
The  flesh  of  the  fox  is  considered  as  a  delicate  article  of  food,  and  tlio 
skin  of  this  animal  forms  an  important  part  of  the  winter  clothing. 

The  men  are  excessively  addicted  to  loaferism  and  gluttony.  They 
take  no  more  out-door  exercise  than  is  absolutely  necessary  to  supply 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14560 

(716)  872-4503 


IP 


:/j 


92 


sonntag's  narrative  of  the  grinnell  expedition. 


their  families  with  food  and  clothing,  and  the  greater  part  of  their  time 
is  spent  in  their  huts,  where  their  only  employment  is  eating,  and  their 
only  recreation  is  sleeping.  The  quantity  of  meat  which  an  Esquimaux 
man  can  consume  is  astonishing.  Eight  or  ten  pounds  at  a  meal  is 
supposed  to  be  a  moderate  allowance.  A  whole  seal  is  brought  into  a 
hut:  it  is  speedily  skinned  and  stripped  of  its  blubber — the  men,  in  the 
meanwhile,  devouring  the  raw  flesh  without  intermission.  The  women, 
all  this  time,  are  getting  some  portions  of  the  carcass  ready  for  the 
pot  and  boiling  it,  to  furnish  out  the  regular  meal,  as  the  gentlemen 
of  the  household  consider  the  raw  flesh  which  they  have  been  swallowing 
in  huge  gobbets  as  a  mere  preliminary  snack  or  luncheon.  When  the 
regular  meal  is  cooked,  they  fall  to  with  as  much  animation  as  if  they 
had  not  broken  their  fast  for  a  fortnight.  They  never  discontinue  eating 
as  long  as  a  morsel  remains  to  be  swallowed. 

Between  meals  they  often  solace  themselves  with  a  kind  of  sandwich, 
made  by  inclosing  a  slice  of  blubber  between  two  pieces  of  seal's  flesh, 
cut  from  a  lump  of  meat  which  has  been  frozen.  Among  their  greatest 
dainties,  the  livers  of  the  seal  and  walrus  take  precedence. 

When  the  men  go  on  a  hunting  expedition,  they  take  a  sufficiency 
of  meat  and  blubber  with  them  to  last  as  long  as  they  expect  to  be 
absent  from  home.  They  are  seldom  away  more  than  forty-eight  hours 
at  a  time.  On  these  occasions  their  operations  or  repose  are  not  regu- 
lated by  the  time  of  day.  They  hunt  for  twenty-four  hours  "  at  a 
stretch,"  perhaps,  and  then  spend  about  as  much  in  listless  idleness. 
Their  hunting  operations  are  attended  with  much  hardship  and  danger. 
One  of  the  hunters  is  occasionally  killed  by  a  bear ;  sometimes  one  of 
them  drifts  away  on  a  cake  of  ice,  and  is  never  heard  of  afterward. 

A  very  marvelous  escape  of  two  young  men  happened  in  the  winter 
of  1854-5.  They  traveled  from  their  place  of  abode,  situated  about 
seventy  miles  from  our  winter  harbor,  to  a  distant  village,  at  a  season 
when  traveling  is  most  dreary  and  dangerous,  namely,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  month  of  December,  a  time  when  the  cold  is  most  severe 
and  the  darkness  is  most  profound.  Their  purpose  was  to  hunt  the 
walrus,  and  in  pursuit  of  these  animals  they  took  a  route  over  the  new 
ice.  They  succeeded  in  killing  a  walrus  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  shore;  but  they  had  scarcely  despatched  their  prey,  wiien  a 
tremendous  gale  of  wind  arose,  which  produced  a  commotion  in  the  sea 
that  broke  up  the  ice  and  left  them  exposed  to  the  mercy  of  the  waves. 
They  took  refuge  on  one  of  the  largest  icebergs  which  happened  to  be 
within  their  reach,  dragging  with  them  the  carcass  of  the  walrus  which 
they  had  killed.     The  berg  on  which  they  were  stationed  soon  became 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OP  THE   GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


93 


detached  from  the  surrounding  ice  and  floated  in  the  open  water,  being 
driven  about  by  the  winds.  There  was  not  even  snow  enough  on  the 
berg  to  make  a  hut,  so  they  were  obliged  to  encamp  on  the  naked  ice 
without  any  shelter ;  with  no  protection  from  the  cold  except  the  clothing 
they  had  on,  and  no  means  for  making  a  fire.  Their  only  food  was  the 
raw  flesh  of  a  walrus,  and  the  frozen  blood  of  the  animal  was  their 
only  drink,  if  it  may  so  be  called.  In  this  condition  they  lived  twenty 
days ;  when  the  gale  ceased,  and  soon  after  the  berg  was  again  sur- 
rounded by  young  ice  strong  enough  to  bear  them,  whereby  they  were 
enabled  to  reach  the  shore.  The  place  where  they  landed  was  about 
thirty  miles  distant  from  the  spot  from  which  the  iceberg  had  started, 
and  they  were  the  first,  perhaps,  who  ever  traveled  so  far  on  the  same 
kind  of  conveyance.  The  feet  of  both  of  these  persons  were  frost- 
bitten; but  one  of  them  visited  our  ship  a  short  time  after  this  ad- 
venture, and  he  was  then  as  well  as  ever. 

Other  hunters  have  been  obliged  to  abandon  their  dogs  on  the  ice,  at 
times  when  it  broke  up  so  rapidly  that  they  were  compelled  to  fly  for  the 
preservation  of  their  lives.  As  lazy  as  the  Esquimaux  are  by  nature  or 
habit,  their  situation  compels  them  to  bestir  themselves  occasionally  ;  but 
their  indolence  and  ill-luck  combined  often  reduce  them  to  a  deplorable 
state  of  starvation.  During  December  of  1854,  and  the  first  two  months 
of  1855,  the  kinds  of  game  which  they  are  accustomed  to  hunt  were 
very  scarce,  and  the  wretched  savages  suffered  terribly  for  want  of  food. 
Such  was  their  necessity  that  they  were  compelled  to  slaughter  their 
dogs  and  make  butcher's  meat  of  them  ;  but  as  these  animals  were  as 
lean  and  emaciated  as  so  many  poets,  an  inconsiderable  amount  of 
food  was  obtained  from  their  dead  bodies,  and  the  quality  of  the  viands 
was  such  that  they  would  not  have  been  acceptable  to  any  stomachs  ex- 
cept the  well-toned  ones  of  the  Esquimaux.  Dr.  Kane"?  celebrated 
suppers  on  fricasseed  rats  were  much  more  savory.  During  this  season 
of  scarcity,  the  want  of  blubber  with  which  to  supply  the  lamps  on 
which  the  Esquimaux  depend  for  light  and  warmth  in  their  huts,  com- 
pelled the  poor  creatures  to  sit  in  the  cold  and  dark.  However,  the 
famine  lasted  only  for  a  few  months ;  and  as  the  Esquimaux  resembles 
in  constitution  the  bear,  the  anaconda,  and  other  voracious  animals, 
they  can  endure  hunger  or  a  scanty  supply  of  food  for  a  long  time, 
without  much  apparent  inconvenience,  taking  care  *o  make  themselves 
amends  by  excessive  gluttony  when  a  plentiful  supply  of  food  is  ob- 
tained. 


lill 


I  I'll 


i! 


I 


.J 


■M 


It;" 


'    ■'! 


CHAPTER   XL 

ESQUIMAUX  HUNTING.  —  BEAR  BAITING  EXTRAORDINARY. —  WALRUS 
CATCHING. — SINGULAR  CUSTOMS. — ESQUIMAUX  GENEROSITY  AND  BE- 
NEVOLENCE.— FOURIERISM  IN  GREENLAND. — OUR  SITUATION  BECOMES 
DESPERATE. — ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  SHIP  AND  THE  MAIN  OBJECT  OP 
THE   EXPEDITION. 

When  the  Esquimaux  go  on  a  bear  hunting  expedition,  the- first 
object  i3  to  discover  Bruin's  tracks  on  the  ice.  When  these  are  seen, 
the  dogs  attached  to  the  sledges  go  in  pursuit  at  full  speed.  As  soon 
as  the  bear  appears  in  sight  the  dogs  are  released  from  their  harness, 
and  soon  overtake  the  object  of  pursuit.  They  attack  him  on  all 
sides,  or  rather  menace  him  with  battle,  but  take  good  care  to  keep 
out  of  his  reach,  seeming  to  understand  that  they  are  no  match  for 
the  enemy  at  close  quarters.  In  fact,  the  Polar  bear  can  kill  a  large 
dog  with  a  single  stroke  of  his  paw.  While  the  bear  is  engaged  with 
the  dogs,  turning  around  and  around  to  repel  them  on  all  sides,  tho 
Esquimaux  approaches  and  takes  a  fair  opportunity  to  pierce  the  side 
of  the  beast  with  his  lance.  But  one  stroke  is  not  sufficient  to  kill 
him,  and  the  hunter  must  withdraw  his  spear  and  make  another  thrust. 
As  soon  as  the  bear  is  wounded  he  turns  furiously  on  the  hunter,  disre- 
garding tho  insults  of  the  dogs.  At  this  critical  moment  all  the  cau- 
tion, skill,  and  tact  of  the  hunter  are  required  to  save  his  own  lite.  He 
watches  every  motion  of  the  bear,  steps  aside  to  avoid  his  first  on- 
slaught, and  before  the  creature  can  wheel  around  the  lance  is  again  bu- 
ried in  his  side.  It  often  requires  many  such  wounds  to  dispatch  a  bear, 
or  even  tq  unfit  him  for  battle.  During  the  whole  fight  the  wounded  bear 
groans  in  a  horrible  manner,  and  the  incessant  howling  of  the  dogs  in- 
creases the  frightful  din  of  the  combat.  Considering  how  imperfectly 
the  Esquimaux  hunter  is  armed — his  bone-tipped  lance  being  but  an 
awkward  and  comparatively  inefficient  weapon — it  certainly  requires 
some  chivalric  spirit  to  undertake  such  a  combat ;  and  it  is  really  a 
matter  of  surprise  to  find  the  human  combatant  generally  successful, 
as  the  advantages  seem  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  bear.  When  the  ani- 
mal is  slain  he  is  immediately  cut  open  by  the  victor,  and  the  entrails 
are  given  to  the  dogs.     By  the  joint  efforts  of  the  hunters  and  the 

(95) 


96 


SONNTAQ's   narrative  op  the   GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


1! 


dogs  the  carcass  of  a  bear  is  soon  made  a  bare  skeleton,  every  eatable 
portion  being  devoured  with  astonishing  celerity. 

The  walrus  is  caught  by  harpooning,  in  which  operation  the  Esqui- 
maux exhibit  some  dexterity.  The  hunters  keep  a  watch  on  the  edge 
of  the  ice,  and  as  soon  as  a  walrus  shows  himself  above  water  the  har- 
poon is  launched  at  him.  This  instrument  is  fastened  to  one  end  of  a 
stout  strip  of  seal  skin,  the  other  extremity  of  which  is  wound  about 
the  hunter's  body.  His  feet  are  planted  firmly  against  a  small  hum- 
mock of  ice,  to  prevent  the  animal  fn  "u  drawing  him  into  the  water. 
As  soon  as  the  harpoon  is  fastened  in  the  body  of  the  walrus,  it  dives 
below  the  surface,  as  the  whale  does  in  similar  circumstances,  but  soon 
after .  reappears  to  take  breath.  At  this  moment  the  hunter  hauls  in 
the  slack  of  his  line  and  stabs  the  animal  with  his  lance ;  and  this  he 
does  every  time  the  walrus  appears  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  until 
it  is  killed.  It  sometimes  happens  that  when  the  walrus  is  wounded  ho 
grows  desperate,  and  comes  up  on  the  ice  to  make  battle  with  his  foe. 
But  his  form  is  so  unwieldy  and  his  motions  so  clumsy,  when  he  is  out 
of  the  water,  that  he  is  easily  dispatched  by  his  antagonist.  The  white 
whale,  narwhal,  and  sea  unicorn,  are  killed  in  a  similar  manner. 

There  is  a  singular  law  or  custom  among  the  Esquimaux  in  relation  to 
the  division  of  game,  when  several  persons  are  present  at  the  time  it  is 
killed.  He  who  gives  the  first  wound  is  entitled  to  the  best  part  of 
the  animal  when  it  is  killed ;  but  every  person  who  is  on  the  spot,  whe- 
ther he  assists  in  killing  the  beast  or  not,  is  entitled  to  a  share.  On 
other  occasions  much  liberality  is  shown  by  these  people.  When  one 
of  them  has  caught  any  animal,  he  dispenses  a  portion  of  it  to  his  less 
successful  neighbor.  Likewise,  when  the  autumnal  hunting  is  unsuc- 
cessful among  the  inhabitants  of  the  southern  villages,  they  migrate 
to  the  northern  settlements,  the  residents  of  which  share  with  them, 
not  their  provisions  only,  but  the  use  of  the  huts,  sleeping  conve- 
niences, and  every  thing  else  which  their  necessitous  circumstances  re- 
quire. I  fear  that  so  much  brotherly  kindness  is  rarely  to  be  met  with 
in  Christian  communities.  A  sort  of  socialistic  system  seems  .to  pre- 
vail among  these  savages,  but  they  have  not  yet  attained  to  the  last 
refinement  of  Fourierite  philosophy — the  community  of  wives ;  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  will  long  remain  ignorant  of  that  modern 
improvement  in  man's  social  and  domestic  relations. 

The  philanthropy  of  the  Esquimaux  is  not  confined  to  a  narrow 
sphere.  Their  benevolence  shines  not  only  on  their  own  countrymen,  but 
on  strangers  likewise.   Many  persons  attached  to  our  expedition  bear  in 


J  eatable 

iie  Esqui- 

the  edge 
the  har- 
end  of  a 

ind  about 

nail  hum- 

;he  water. 

[3,  it  dives 

,  but  soon 
hauls  in 

id  this  he 

ater,  until 

ounded  he 

th  his  foe. 

n  he  is  out 
The  -white 

ter. 
relation  to 

e  time  it  is 

st  part  of 
spot,  whe- 
lare.     On 
When  one 
to  his  less 
is  unsuc- 
ey  migrate 
with  them, 
)ing  conve- 
istances  re- 
met  with 
ms  .to  pre- 
to  the  last 
vives ;    and 
lat  modern 

a  narrow 
trymen,  but 
ion  bear  in 


)e 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE   OP  THE   GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


97 


grateful  remembrance  the  many  acts  of  kindness  and  friendly  attention 
they  received  from  these  soi  diaant  "  savages." 

It  has  already  been  mentioned,  that  the  fresh  meat  which  had  been 
supplied  to  us  by  th"  Esquimaux  was  the  means  of  restoring  many  of 
our  people  who  were  sick  with  the  scurvy.  This  was  a  circumstance 
of  great  importance  to  the  success  of  our  enterprise,  as  some  of  the  men 
who  had  been  sick,  and  apparently  at  the  point  of  death,  soon  became 
able  to  travel,  or  to  make  preparations  necessary  for  a  long  journey  in 
boats.  We  had  now  abandoned  all  hopes  that  the  ship  would  be  libe- 
rated from  the  ice  that  season ;  and  truly  it  appeared  not  very  impro- 
bable that  she  had  found  her  final  resting  place.  In  the  preceding 
year,  the  sea  had  not  opened  within  less  than  forty  miles  of  the  Ad- 
vance ;  and,  as  the  last  winter  was  much  more  severe  than  the  first 
one  which  we  passed  in  that  locality,  there  was  good  reason  to  suppose 
that  the  ice  would  not  break  up  this  year  as  far  as  it  did  in  1855 ;  and, 
in  that  case,  the  escape  of  the  ship  would  be  still  more  difficult,  and, 
in  fact,  hopeless.  The  subsequent  event  proved  that  these  expectations 
were  well  founded. 

Our  provisions  were  almost  exhausted,  and  our  fuel  was  entirely 
consumed.  Every  piece  of  wood  which  could  possibly  be  taken  from 
the  ship  without  making  her  useless,  had  been  burned  before  the  middle 
of  May.  Writing  desks,  fancy  boxes,  and  many  other  articles  of 
considerable  value,  were  likewise  devoted  to  the  flames.  Some  of  our 
salt  pork,  which  had  become  rather  the  worse  for  long  keeping,  was 
also  appropriated  to  the  same  use.  I  verily  believe  that  we  would 
have  burned  whole  cords  or  tons  of  the  most  popular  books  of  the  day, 
(especially  novels  and  poetry,)  or  any  other  combustible  matters,  if  it 
had  been  within  our  reach. 

We  found,  in  short,  that  it  was  impossible  to  hold  out  another 
season,  and  no  alternative  remained  for  us  but  to  abandon  the  ship 
and  to  attempt  a  passage  in  boats  to  those  seas  which  are  frequented 
by  whaling  vessels,  or  to  the  Danish  settlements  on  the  northern  coast 
of  Greenland.  A  council  of  the  officers  being  called,  it  was  unani- 
mously resolved  that  this  retrogressive  movement  was  imperatively 
necessary,  and  the  only  measure  that  could  possibly  save  us  from  a 
horrible  death  by  starvation.  The  reader  will  perceive  that  the  jour- 
ney now  concluded  on  was  a  virtual  abandonment  of  the  main  object 
of  our  expedition.  We  had,  in  some  respects,  been  more  fortunate  and 
successful  than  most  of  our  predecessors  in  the  navigation  of  the  polar 
seas;  we  had  penetrated  farther  in  a  northern  direction  than  any 
navigator.  Captain  Parry,  only  excepted,  had  ever  done  before;  but  it 
7 


,11    ;: 


'Mi 


!| 


i 


SONNTAO'S    NARRATIVE   OF  THE   ORINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


99 


must  not  be  concealed  that  all  attempts  to  make  a  satisfactory  explo- 
ration of  those  seas  and  the  adjacent  regions  have  hitherto  failed ; 
and  before  I  proceed  farther  with  this  narrative,  I  will  endeavor  to 
account  for  these  failures  in  a  manner  which,  I  hope,  will  give  the  reader 
a  true  exposition  of  the.  grand  difficulties  and  apparently  insurmountable 
obstacles  which  have  constantly  frustrated  the  endeavors  of  the  most 
able,  resolute,  and  energetic  of  the  Arctic  navigators. 


mm 


:.»• 


h 


•m 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE  REASONS  WHY  ALL  ARCTIC  EXPEDITIONS  HAVE  BEEN  FAILURES. — 
CAPTAIN  parry's  EXPLORATIONS  THE  MOST  SUCCESSFUL. — SUGGES- 
TIONS FOR  A  NEW  PLAN  OP  ARCTIC  EXPLORATION. — THE  POSSIBILITY 
OF  REACHING  TUE  NORTH  POLE. — HOW  THAT  OBJECT  MAY  BE 
EFFECTED. 


The  nearest  approach  to  the  North  Pole  ever  made  by  an  European 
or  American  navigator,  was  the  memorable  achievement  of  Cap- 
tain Parry,  on  the  23d  day  of  July,  1827,  when  he  reached  the  high 
northern  latitude  of  82°  45'.  The  day  was  one  of  the  warmest  and 
most  pleasant  that  Captain  Parry  had  experienced  in  that  climate ;  and 
had  it  not  besn  for  the  soft  state  of  the  ice  and  the  strong  southerly 
current,  which  operated  against  the  northern  progress  of  Captain 
Parry's  party,  it  is  conjectured  that  he  might  have  continued  his  jour- 
ney to  the  pole  itself. 

In  a  letter  to  the  British  Admiralty,  dated  London,  Nov.  25,  1845, 
Captain  Parry  declares  his  belief  in  the  practicability  of  reaching  the 
North  Pole  by  traveling  over  the  ice ;  and  he  attributes  his  failure  in 
1827,  solely  to  the  causes  spoken  of  above,  viz.,  the  mushy  condition 
of  the  ice  and  the  strong  adverse  current.  Captain  Parry  thinks  that  an 
approach  to  the  North  Pole  is  not  a  matter  of  such  difficult  attainment  as 
is  generally  supposed,  provided  the  undertaking  is  begun  and  carried  on 
in  the  right  manner.  All  who  have  devoted  much  attention  to  the  sub. 
ject,  are  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  Pole  may  be  reached.  Why 
then,  it  may  be  asked,  has  this  object  never  been  accomplished  ?  It 
appears  to  me  that  the  ill  success  of  Arctic  expeditions  in  general  admit  of 
an  easy  explanation.  None  of  these  expeditions  have  been  suitably 
prepared  for  the  explorations  intended.  After  remaining  for  a  winter, 
or  two  winters  perhaps,  fastened  up  by  the  ice,  every  exploring  party 
has  been  compelled  to  return  for  want  of  a  sufficient  supply  of  pro- 
visions and  fuel.  The  account  I  have  given  of  Dr.  Kane's  failure  in 
this  enterprise  is,  in  the  most  material  points,  a  repetition  of  the  his- 
tory of  every  former  undertaking  of  the  same  kind.  The  adventurers 
are  invariably  driven  back  by  hunger  and  cold,  from  the  effects  of 
(100) 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OF  THE   GRINNELL   EXl'EDITION. 


101 


which,  with  better  management,  they  might  have  been  protected  for  a 
much  longer  time. 

The  best  plan  for  conducting  a  Polar  expedition  that  has  ever  been 
proposed,  ia  the  following : — Only  one  ship  should  bo  engaged  in  the 
enterprise ;  in  this  ship  the  exploring  party  should  go  to  Spitzbergcn, 
as  Captain  Parry  did  in  the  Hecla.     But  the  time  of  starting  should 
not  be  too  early  in  the  season ;  for  it  was  to  that  error  chiefly  that 
Captain  Parry  imputed  his  failure.    The  first  object,  or  the  main  object 
for  the  first  year,  would  be  to  find  secure  winter- quarters  as  far  north- 
ward as  possible.    For  this  purpose  it  would  be  necessary  merely  to  icach 
Hakluyt's  Headland  by  the  end  of  June.    This  would  afford  a  sulliciency 
of  time  to  examine  the  more  northern  lands,  especially  about  the  Seven 
Islands,  where,  in  all  probability,  a  secure   nook  might  be  found  to 
serve  as  a  station  for  the  ship,  and  a  starting  point  for  the  proposed 
expedition — which  from  thence  would  proceed  by  sledge  conveyance  over 
the  ice  and  snow.     This  starting  point  might  be  fixed  some  forty  or 
fifty  miles  in  advance  of  the  place  where  Parry's  first  winter-quarters 
were  established.     The  winter  might  be  passed  in  various  preparations 
for  the  spring  journey,  and  in  magnetic,  astronomical,  and  meteorolo- 
gical observations,  which,  being  made  in  that  latitude,  would  be  of 
great  interest  and  importance.     The  expedition  should  leave  the  ship 
about  the  middle  of  April,  when  the  ice  would  present  one  hard  and 
unbroken  surface,  over  which,  as  I  confidently  believe,  a  progress  of  at 
least  thirty  miles  per  day  might  be  made  with  little  difficulty.     Among 
the  advantages    of    this   course,    I   may  mention   that  it  would  be 
attended  with  comparatively  little  exposure  to  wet  and  to  that  disease 
so  annoying  to  Arctic  travelers,  called  snow-blindness.     Besides,  the 
ice  at  this  season  would  probably  be  stationary ;  and  thus  the  two 
great  difficulties  which  Parry's  party  had  to  encounter  would  be  entirely 
obviated. 

It  would  likewise  be  advisable  to  establish  depositories  of  provisions 
one  hundred  miles  in  advance,  by  sending  out  a  party  for  that  purpose 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter,  or  at  the  beginning  of  spring,  before 
the  journey  of  the  exploring  party  is  commenced.  By  this  means,  the 
last-named  party  could  begin  the  journey  without  being  overburdened 
with  luggage,  as  they  would  depend  on  the  provision  depot  for  a  part 
of  their  supplies. 

With  regard  to  the  mode  of  traveling,  it  may  bo  remarked,  in  the 
first  place,  that  expedition  would  be  highly  necessary,  as  the  whole 
journey  would  have  to  be  completed  before  the  end  of  May ;  or  before 
any  disruption  of  the  ice  or  any  material  softening  of  the  surface  should 


i 


I! 


2 


M 

H 

a 
n 


BONNTAd  S    NAKHATIVK,   OK   TIIK   (IIIINNKM,    KXI'FDITrOIf. 


103 


take  plnco.  During  tho  abflcnco  of  the  exploring  party  supplies  of  pro- 
visions might  bo  stationed  along  tho  route  fur  tho  use  of  that  party  on 
its  way  back  to  the  ship.  With  respect  to  the  draught-animals  to  bo 
used  in  this  enterprise,  I  think  that  reindeer  are  far  more  eligible  than 
dogs.  The  former  have  moro  speed  and  greater  powers  of  endurance 
than  the  latter ;  they  are  more  healthy  animals,  equally  as  tractable, 
and  require  much  less  food ;  and  the  latter  would  bo  an  important  con- 
sideration, as  it  would  be  desirable  to  carry  as  small  a  load  of  proven- 
der as  would  answer  the  purpose. 

A  supply  of  these  useful  creatures  might  be  obtained  at  IlamraerBsk, 
on  the  passage ;  and  I  think  there  would  be  no  difBculty  in  keeping 
them  alive  during  the  winter,  as  they  could  be  fed  on  such  farinaceous 
food  as  the  resources  of  the  ship  could  supply. 

Nothing  can  be  more  admirable  (the  operations  of  tho  "  iron  horse" 
alone  excepted)  than  the  performance  of  the  Lapland  reindeer  iji  har- 
ness. This  deer  is  the  paragon  of  traveling  quadrupeds.  Its  docility 
is  wonderful ;  tho  Arabian  courser  is  not  susceptive  of  better  training. 
With  a  simple  collar  of  skin  around  his  neck,  a  single  traco  of  the  same 
material  attached  to  the  pulk,  or  sledge,  and  passing  between  his  legs, 
and  one  rein  fixed,  like  a  halter,  around  his  neck,  this  intelligent  crea- 
ture is  perfectly  under  the  command  of  an  experienced  driver,  and  is 
able  to  perform  astonishing  journeys  over  the  softest  snow.  His 
motions  are  more  easily  directed  than  those  of  the  horse.  When  the 
rein  is  thrown  over  on  the  off  side  of  tho  animal  he  immediately  sets 
off  at  full  trot,  and  he  stops  short  the  moment  it  is  thrown  back  to  the 
near  side.  Shaking  the  rein  over  his  back  answers  all  the  purpose  of 
the  whip.  For  his  maintenance  the  animal  requires  only  four  pounds 
of  clean  moss  per  diem,  but  in  case  of  necessity  they  can  travel  five  or 
six  days  without  food;  nor  does  this  abstinence  seem  to  affect  their 
health  or  good  spiritb.  The  case  is  very  different  with  dogs,  which 
require  a  large  amount  of  animal  food — a  sort  of  provision  which  is 
often  very  hard  to  procure ;  and  besides  there  is  such  a  difference  in 
the  ability  of  the  two,  seeing  that  six  or  seven  dogs  are  required  to 
perform  the  same  amount  of  work  which  one  reindeer  can  execute  with 
apparent  ease.  The  only  drink  required  by  these  deer  is  snow,  which 
need  not  be  melted  for  the  purpose.  They  can  sleep  on  the  naked  ice ; 
and,  in  short,  they  are  the  least  troublesome  and  expensive  animals 
that  ever  entered  into  the  service  of  mankind.  A  reindeer  can  travel 
eighty  mileq  in  one  day  without  much  exertion.  From  what  has  been 
said  I  think  it  will  appear  that  these  animals  would  be  of  immense 
advantage  to  an  Arctic  expedition ;  and  the  great  wonder  is  that  a 


l'"'N:l 


104 


SONNTAQ  S   NARRATIVE   OF   TUE   GRINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


truth  SO  very  obvious  has  not  forced  itsdf  on  the  attention  of  every 
man  who  has  attempted  to  explore  any  part  of  the  Polar  regions. 

The  distance  from  Hakluyt's  Headland  to  the  Pole  is  six  hundred 
geographical  miles.  Supposing  that  the  traveler  should  proceed  but 
twenty  miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  only  one  month  would  be  required 
to  enable  the  adventurer  to  place  his  foot  on  the  very  pivot  of  the 
earth's  axis.  He  might  remain  there  a  month,  if  necessary,  to  collect 
all  desirable  information,  and  then  return  in  one  of  those  easily- 
constructed  canoes  which  are  made  and  used  by  the  Esquimaux  on  the 
southern  coast  of  Greenland.  The  southwesterly  currents,  within  a 
fortnight,  or  less  time,  perhaps,  would  bring  him  back  to  Spitzbergen. 

I  am  aware  that  mary  persons  will  see  great  difficulties  and  perils 
in  attc.Klance  on  the  plan  of  exploration  here  proposed.  But  where  is 
the  undertaking  which  promises  either  glory  or  profit  that  has  no 
attendant  risks  or  inconveniences?  To  the  timid  and  irresolute 
objector,  I  will  make  the  same  answer  which  was  given  by  that  brave 
old  navigator.  Sir  Martin  Frobisher,  when  his  friends  would  have  per- 
suaded him  not  to  engage  in  a  northwest  passage.  ''  It  is  the  only 
thing  in  the  world  (said  he)  that  is  left  undone  whereby  a  man  of  mode- 
rate abilities  may  become  famous."  We  may  still  say  that  the  North 
Pole  is  almost  the  only  thing  in  the  world  about  which  we  know 
nothing ;  and  the  time  has  come  (according  to  my  views)  when  our 
ignorance  on  that  subject  admits  of  no  apology. 


^);i- 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


AN  ATTEMPT  TO  ANSWER  THE  QUESTION,  "OF  WHAT  USE  ARE  ARCTIC 
EXPLORATIONS?" — "WILL  THEY  PAY  ?"— HINTS  FOR  ENTERPRISING 
CAPITALISTS  AND  YANKEE  SPECULATORS. — ADVANTAGES  OF  POLAR 
RESEARCHES  TO  THE  CAUSE  OF  SCIENCE — AN  OBJECT  WORTHY  OF  THE 
NOBLEST  AMBITION. — OBSERVATIONS   TO   BE  MADE  AT  THE  POLE. 


k 


i| 


cc 


'  What  advantage  would  the  world  derive  from  a  thorough  exploration 
of  the  Polar  regions  ?"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  this  question,  or  some- 
thing like  it,  is  often  asked  by  men  who  pretend  to  intelligence  and 
good  judgment.  The  utilitarianism  of  this  age  is  often  extravagant  in  a 
high  degree.  Some  people  can  see  no  use  in  any  thing  which  does  not 
immediately  put  money  into  their  pockets.  Pecuniary  profit  is  the 
only  consideration.  A  dollar-producing  enterprise,  whatever  may  be 
its  objects  and  tendencies  in  other  respects,  is  altogether  glorious  with 
them,  and  every  thing  else  is  a  stumbling-block  and  foolishness.  In 
order  to  meet  the  objections  which  such  people  make  to  Polar  explora- 
tions, we  may  remark  that  the  enterprise  may  "  pay  well,"  according 
to  the  common  commercial  acceptation  of  that  phrase.  We  do  not 
know  what  valuable  productions  of  nature  may  be  obtained  from  the 
lands  or  seas  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  North  Pole.  If  a 
tract  were  once  opened,  or  a  practical  route  and  available  means  of 
travel  and  transportation  were  once  devised,  who  knows  what  new  fields 
would  be  opened  for  commercial  enterprise  ?  Who  can  estimate  the 
value  of  the  Polar  fisheries,  or  the  Polar  fur  trade  ?  Who  knows  what 
Irandsome  sums  might  be  realized  by  conveying  passengers  to  a  spot 
whore  every  object  would  be  novel  and  curious  ?  The  day  may  come 
when  excursions  to  the  Pole  may  be  as  much  within  the  scope  of  Yankee 
contrivance,  as  Fourth  of  July  excursions  to  Washington  city  or  the 
Falls  of  Niagara.  Who  knows  but  that  a  veritable  sign-post  may  be 
erected  by  some  "  Down  East"  speculator  on  the  very  turning-point  of 
the  terrestrial  sphere,  where  a  house  of  entertainment  may  be  estab- 
lished, with  a  table  richly  furnished  with  all  the  delicacies  of  the  cli- 
mate, and  a  bar  well  stocked  with  choice  liquors,  for  the  convenience 
of  those  who  may  prefer  the  North  Pole,  as  a  place  of  summer  retreat, 

(105) 


■;H 


i 


llH 


M 

f4 


o 
M 

< 

H 
H 

H 

en 
» 

Q 


SOXNTAG's    NARUATIVE   OF   THE   ORINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


107 


to  Cape  May  or  Saratoga  Springs  ?     What  an  opportunity  for  a  "good 
investment"  is  here  suggested ! 

But  apart  from  all  considerations  of  a  mere  pecuniary  nature,  there 
are  other  objects  connected  with  Polar  discovery  which  should  claim 
some  attention  from  the  men  of  this  refined  and  intellectual  generation. 

Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  once  said  that  the  man  who  had  seen  the  great 
wall  of  China  might  be  considered  as  shedding  a  lustre  on  his  grand- 
children. But,  after  all,  what  a  comparatively  insignificant  thing  is  the 
wall  of  China!  Many  of  our  small-beer  poets  and  traveling  news- 
paper correspondents,  in  their  desperate  struggles  for  distinction,  and 
their  anxiety  to  obtain  piquant  materials  for  a  paragraph,  have  scaled 
the  broad  parapets  of  the  China  wall  and  promenaded  its  summit  for 
miles  together,  without  being  one  jot  or  tittle  the  wiser  or  better  for 
such  achievements.  How  much  more  glorious  in  the  estimation  of  every 
truly  wise  man,  would  be  that  individual  who  should  succeed  in  placing 
his  foot  on  the  extreme  point  of  the  earth's  axis;  and  what  a  lustre 
would  he  shed  on  his  descendants  to  the  third  and  fourth  generations ! 
To  stand  where  no  mortal  man  has  trodden  before — to  perform  what 
many  adventurers  and  heroic  men  have  attempted  in  vain — to  walk 
over  the  most  remarkable  spot  on  the  earth's  surface — these,  I  should 
think,  are  objects  which  ought  to  satisfy  any  rational  ambition — far 
more  excusable  objects  of  ambition  than  the  slaughter  of  armies  and 
the  subjugation  of  empires. 

As  the  land  adjacent  to  the  Pole  is  all  terra  incognita,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  say  Avhat  additions  to  the  stores  of  natural  science  a  visitor  to 
those  regions  might  be  able  to  make.  Certain  it  is,  however,  that  a 
new  and  wide  field  would  be  opened  for  his  investigation.  Every  thing 
there  would  be  novel ;  and  that  circumstance  alone  would  be  well  calcu- 
lated to  stimulate  his  attentive  faculties.  The  diflSculties  which  would 
present  themselves  to  the  investigator  may  be  appreciated  at  home ; 
but  they  Avould  be  greater  or  less  according  to  circumstances  of  which 
we  know  nothing.  We  know  not,  for  example,  whether  the  Pole  is 
covered  with  open  water,  or  icy  sea,  or  dry  land ;  nor  do  we  know 
which  of  these  three  conditions  would  be  most  favorable  for  investiga- 
tion. It  may  be  presumed,  however,  that  an  open  sea  would  be,  in 
several  respects,  the  most  disadvantageous.  In  the  first  place,  it  would 
in  all  probability  be  so  deep  that  the  ship  would  be  unable  to  anchor ; 
and  the  current  might  be  too  strong  to  permit  her  to  keep  stationary 
long  enough  to  make  accurate  observations.  In  the  second  place :  if  she 
could  not  maintain  her  position  steadily  at  one  point,  the  commander 
would  experience  a  new  embarrassment,  viz.,  as  every  meridian  must 


Ih 


i '  f 


'if- 

li   i 


Sill 


iliiln 

'tf 


108 


sonntaq's  narrative  op  the  grinnell  expedition. 


extend  southwardly,  he  would  be  apt  to  lose  that  on  which  he  had  ap- 
preached  the  Pole — and  consequently  he  would  be  at  a  loss  how  to 
shape  his  course  homeward. 

The  occurrence  of  this  strange  diflSculty  will  naturally  present  itself 
as  one  among  many  novel  phenomena  which  will  arrest  the  adventurer's 
attention,  and  the  following  observations  would  probably  occur  to  him 
on  the  spot.  The  time  of  day  (to  use  that  phraseology  for  want  of  any 
other  that  would  be  more  appropriate)  would  no  longer  be  marked  by 
any  apparent  change  in  the  altitude  of  the  sun  .above  the  horizon ;  be- 
cause to  a  spectator  at  the  Pole  no  such  change  would  appear,  except  to 
the  small  amount  of  the  daily  change  of  declination.  Thus,  not  only 
to  the  eye,  but  also  for  the  practical  purpose  of  obtaining  the  time  by 
astronomical  observations,  the  sun  would  appear  throughout  the  twenty- 
four  hours  neither  to  rise  nor  fall,  but  to  describe  a  circle  round  the 
heavens  parallel  with  the  horizon.  Therefore,  the  usual  mode  of  ascer- 
taining the  time  would  utterly  fail ;  and  indeed,  however  startling  may 
be  the  assertion,  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  time,  or  the  natural  dis- 
tinction of  time,  would  be  no  more.  This  will  appear  from  the  con- 
sideration that  the  idea  of  apparent  time  refers  only  to  the  particular 
meridian  on  which  an  observer  happens  to  be  placed ;  and  is  marked  or 
determined  only  by  the  distance  of  the  sun,  or  some  other  heavenly 
body,  from  that  meridian.  Now,  as  an  observer  at  the  Pole  is  on  no  one 
meridian,  but  is  stationed  at  a  point  where  all  meridians  meet,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  "apparent  time"  for  him  has  no  existence. 

Before  Sir  John  Franklin  left  England  on  his  last  voyage  to  the 
Arctic  regions,  his  attention  was  naturally  directed  to  the  best  means 
of  insuring  his  return  from  the  Pole  on  the  right  meridian.  The  only 
two  practicable  methods  which  occurred  to  him,  were : — 1.  By  the  help 
of  the  compass :  2.  By  means  of  chronometers.  From  the  observations 
which  have  already  been  made  in  regions  far  toward  the  North  it  may 
be  considered  that  at  the  Pole,  the  magnetic  needle  would  freely  tra- 
verse, and  that  the  compass  would  retain  all  its  efficiency.  For,  as  it 
is  to  the  magnetic  pole  and  not  to  the  pole  of  the  earth,  that  the  needle 
is  directed,  and  as  the  dip  of  the  needle  amounts  to  but  82°  22'  at  the 
most  northerly  point  which  has  ever  been  reached,  it  is  probable  that 
the  horizontal  or  directive  force  of  the  needle  would  remain  strong  and 
efficient  at  the  Pole,  and,  consequently,  that  the  magnetic  bearing  of 
any  point  on  the  globe  might  be  ascertained  by  the  instrument  even  at 
the  Pole  itself. 

Captain  Parry  on  his  voyage  through  Barrow's  Strait  observed  some 
remarkable  phenomena  in  relation  to  the  movements  of  the  magnetic 


SONNTAQ  S   NARRATIVE   OP   THE   nHINNKLL   EXPKDITION. 


109 


needle.  The  north  end  of  the  needle  at  one  time  pointed  directly  to  the 
south,  and  then  shifted  to  the  southeast.  The  counteractive  influences 
of  the  iron  on  shipboard  made  the  compass  entirely  useless  in  that 
locality,  as  the  attractive  power  of  the  iron  nullified  the  directive  force 
of  the  needle.  But  we  need  not  apprehend  that  such  effects  would  be 
witnessed  at  the  Pole  of  the  earth.  For  the  reason  specified  above,  this 
inconvenience  would  be  very  unlikely  to  occur  at  the  extremity  of  the 
earth's  axis,  because  the  central  point  of  attraction  to  which  the  needle 
is  directed  lies  in  a  much  lower  latitude.  Our  readers  may  be  aware 
that  Captain  Ross  actually  visited  the  magnetic  pole,  or  the  point  so 
designated,  and  planted  the  British  flag  on  the  spot.  Hence  it  appears 
that  there  is  a  suflScient  difference  of  position  between  the  magnetic 
pole  and  that  of  the  earth  to  make  the  mariner's  compass  an  available 
instrument  at  the  latter. 

The  other  method  of  insuring  the  return  of  an  exploring  party  on  the 
right  meridian,  is  by  means  of  the  chronometer.  It  is  evident  that  to  a 
spectator  at  the  Pole,  the  sun,  at  the  precise  moment  of  apparent  noon 
at  any  given  place,  would  appear  exactly  in  the  direction  of  that  place ; 
and  consequently  that  the  time  of  noon  at  that  place  ascertained  by  the 
chronometer,  would  be  a  certain  indication  of  the  right  direction.  But 
as  watches  are  usually  made  with  the  hours  on  the  dial  plate  marked 
from  one  to  twelve  only,  a  difficulty  might  arise  in  distinguishing  12 
o'clock  at  noon  from  the  hour  of  midnight,  in  a  place  where  there  is 
perpetual  sunshine  and  no  change  in  the  altitude  of  the  solar  orb  to 
distinguish  one  time  from  another.  To  avoid  the  possibility  of  such  a 
mistake,  it  would  be  necessary  to  use  a  chronometer,  the  dial-plate  of 
which  would  be  marked  with  all  the  hours  from  I  to  XXIV ;  the  hour- 
hand  making  but  one  revolution  in  the  whole  period.  Then,  when  the 
chronometer  indicated  apparent  noon  at  Greenwich,  the  sun  would  be 
exactly  over  the  meridian  of  that  place,  and  the  same  rule  would  serve 
for  any  other  place  of  known  longitude. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  what  benefits  to  the  cause  of  science  might 
result  from  an  accurate  examination  of  large  tracts  of  sea  or  land, 
which  had  never  been  examined  before.  But  with  respect  to  the  enter- 
prise now  under  consideration,  there  is  one  object  of  very  great  impor- 
tance, in  a  scientific  point  of  view,  which  might  be  attained  by  a  visit 
to  the  Pole,  viz.,  the  measurement  of  a  Degree  of  the  Meridian,  com- 
mencing from  the  Pole  itself.  Many  readers  of  this  narrative  are 
aware  that  the  form  of  the  earth  has,  long  since,  been  ascertained  to  be 
that  of  an  oblate  spheroid,  having  its  equatorial  diameter  much  longer 
than  its  polar  diameter;  or,  in  more  popular  language,  the  earth  is 


m 
fir 


h  M 


'f  il 


I, 


:!';-l!,i:i 


11' 


mm 


;  jjl'-ilir,: 
i'liii:  "'' 


iiiiilllii  iiiiiili  iiiii  i!l^  i^^i^i^  I 


m 


ill' 


I  ■  .iHil'i 
i|!ll!'l 


iiiiii  i  iii^!^^^^  i 


% 


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:■  ■  M 
;,J:.iM:;ii|i' 

'a 


m 

!;!r!iiil!ii':i!''^il|!S 


i   >■ 


illlilli!!' 


I  Pil'i'illi 


ii  .'ill 

Hll'P'iHi; 


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p 

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M 
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a 

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msm 


w 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE  OF  THE  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION 


111 


turnip-shaped,  being  flattened  or  depressed  at  the  poles.  But  it  still 
remains  a  matter  of  doubt,  in  what  degree  this  flattening  exists ;  and 
there  is  no  conclusive  way  of  settling  that  question  except  bj  the  ac- 
tual measurement  of  a  degree  at  the  Pole,  and  comparing  it  with  the 
length  of  a  degree  at  the  Equator.  The  attainment  of  this  object  alone 
would  be  an  ample  compensation  for  the  labor  which  would  be  required 
to  effect  it.  If  a  sufficient  length  of  line  could  be  measured  on  one  of 
the  meridians  which  are  clustered  at  the  Pole,  the  operation  would  require 
the  most  rigid  attention,  as  the  accuracy  of  many  future  calculations 
would  depend  on  the  precision  of  that  measurement. 

The  ellipticity  of  the  earth  may  be  ascertained  by  the  swinging  of  a 
pendulum,  but  this  method  is  liable  to  some  objections.  It  is  an  ope- 
ration which  may  be  conducted  by  one  person  however,  whereas  the 
actual  measurement  of  the  meridian  line  would  require  several  persons ; 
and,  as  an  increase  of  gravitation  takes  place  from  the  Equator  to  the 
Pole,  it  is  desirable  that  the  requisite  observations  should  be  made  at 
the  latter  point,  or  as  near  it  as  possible.  But  a  ship  on  an  open  or 
icy  sea  would  not  afibrd  a  convenient  locality  for  these  experiments. 

Should  land,  or  any  portion  of  it,  however  small,  be  found  at  the 
Pole,  or  near  it,  all  the  required  observations  might  be  conducted  to  a 
successful  issue.  It  may  be  presumed  that  if  any  such  land  exists,  it  is 
not  of  a  mountainous  character,  as  no  icebergs  are  ever  sent  down 
from  that  quarter.  These  masses  are  known  to  be  the  products 
of  glaciers  on  the  sides  of  high  mountains  and  in  the  intermediate 
valleys,  especially  those  glaciers  which  exist  in  Spitzsbergen  and  Green- 
land. 

On  a  piece  of  land,  at  or  adjacent  to  the  Pole,  the  pendulum  may 
be  swung,  and  the  rise,  fall,  and  direction  of  the  tides  may  be  observed. 
It  would  be  interesting  also,  to  examine  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  its 
vegetable  productions,  the  disposition  of  the  strata,  and  the  mineral 
products,  if  any.  And,  if  the  land  be  of  sufficient  extent,  the  meri- 
dional distance  may  be  measured. 

The  tides  at  the  Pole  would  be  a  deeply  interesting  subject  for  exa- 
mination ;  and  many  other  important  matters,  such  as  magnetic  pheno- 
mena, atmospherical  electricity,  and  the  aurora  polaris,  with  various 
other  meteorological  facts,  would  claim  the  attention  of  the  scientific 
observer.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  the  ultra-utilitarians  themselves  will 
concede  that  Arctic  discoveries  are  of  practical  importance  enough  to 
justify  the  labor  and  expense  which  may  be  necessary  to  prosecute 
them  to  a  successful  result. 


I 


m 


jillj  lii 


^i 


iiifr 


CHAPTER  XIV.     V 

DEVOTIONS  ON  SHIPBOARD. — WE  BID  A  FINAL  ADIEU  TO  THE  "AD- 
VANCE."— THE  CELEBRATED  BOAT  JOURNEY  COMMENCED. — APPALL- 
ING DANGERS  OP  THIS  ENTERPRISE. — TERRIBLE  SUFFERINGS. — NAR- 
ROW ESCAPE  FROM  DROWNING. — DISTRESSING  ACCIDENT. — DEATH  AND 
FUNERAL   OF  THE   CARPENTER. — A   GRAVE   UNEXPECTEDLY   PROVIDED. 


Having  resolved  to  abandon  tbe  ship,  we  all  applied  ourselves  to 
making  the  most  active  preparations  for  our  journey  over  the  ice, 
which  promised  to  be  a  very  toilsome  and  unpleasant  enterprise.  Pro- 
visions were  put  up  in  canvas  bags,  made  to  fit  under  the  seats  of  the 
boats  in  order  that  they  might  occupy  as  little  space  as  possible.  The 
mode  of  traveling  we  had  decided  on  was  by  sledge  conveyance, 
as  long  as  the  ice  should  be  found  solid  enough  to  answer  that  purpose ; 
and  after  we  had  crossed  the  icy  girdle  which  surrounded  the  ship,  our 
plan  was  to  proceed  in  the  boats,  (three  in  number,)  which  we  were 
obliged  to  carry  with  us,  as  heavy  and  unwieldy  as  they  were.  To 
carry  out  this  design,  we  constructed  three  sledges,  each  one  large  and 
long  enough  to  carry  a  boat.  The  boats  were  placed  on  the  sledges 
in  the  same  positions  which  they  would  have  assumed  in  the  water. 
Our  sick  people  and  the  provisions  were  then  placed  in  the  boats,  each 
of  which  was  very  heavily  laden ;  and  indeed  to  prepare  them  for  the 
hard  service  they  would  be  required  to  perform,  it  was  necessary  to 
Strengthen  the  boats  by  additional  planks  and  timbers,  which  of  course 
greatly  increased  the  weight. 

While  these  preparations  were  going  on,  Dr.  Kane  himself  made  two 
final  attempts  at  exploration  in  a  northern  direction,  his  principal  ob- 
ject being  to  cross  the  channel  and  to  continue  the  examination  and 
search  which  had  been  commenced  in  the  preceding  year.  In  pur- 
suance of  this  plan,  he  commenced  his  journey  in  a  dog  sledgis  with 
two  Esquimaux  attendants,  one  of  them  doing  duty  as  a  guide,  and  the 
other  as  driver  of  the  dog  team.  But  when  he  and  his  savage  com- 
panions had  proceeded  to  the  distance  of  a  few  miles  from  the  ship, 
some  bear- tracks  were  unfortunately  discovered  on  the  ice — and  then 
no  persuasions  or  inducements  could  prevail  on  the  Esquimaux  guide 
and  driver  to  ptoceed  one  yard  further  in  the  direction  which  Dr. 
(112) 


SONNTAO  .S    NARRATIVE   OF   TIIK   ORlNNELt,    KXPEDITION. 


113 


i 


I 


Kane  wished  to  travel.  They  held  to  the  opinion  that  the  capture  of 
a  bear  was  an  enterprise  of  infinitely  more  importance  than  any  project 
which  could  engage  the  attention  of  Dr.  Kane.  The  Doctor  was  en- 
forced, therefore,  much  against  his  inclination,  to  accompany  his  ardent 
companions  on  a  bear-hunt,  from  which,  when  the  first  opportunity 
offered,  he  returned  to  the  ship,  very  much  out  of  humor  with  the  Es- 
quimaux race  in  general,  and  with  his  late  guide  and  driver  in  particular. 
His  second  attempt  was  equally  unsuccessful,  though  from  a  different 
cause.  The  condition  of  the  ice,  a  few  miles  from  the  ^ip,  was  such 
as  to  make  sledge  traveling  impossible ;  the  whole  surface  being  covered 
with  hummocks  and  hillocks,  over  which  the  vehicle  could  not  pass. 
These  attempts  having  failed,  the  Doctor  turned  all  his  attention  to  that 
hazardous  boat-journey  which  had  been  resolved  on  as  the  only  means 
of  extricating  his  company  from  the  certain  destruction  which  menaced 
them  in  their  present  situation. 

The  preparations  for  this  journey  having  been  completed,  all  hands 
were  assembled  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  for  the  last  time.  Our  com- 
mander then  made  a  solemn  and  impressive  address  to  the  company, 
reminding  them  of  the  obligations  which  they  owed  to  Divine  Provi- 
dence for  their  preservation  through  so  many  dangers,  and  admonish- 
ing them  to  implore  Almighty  God  for  guidance  and  protection  in  the 
still  greater  perils  through  which  they  were  about  to  pass.  This  address 
being  finished,  Dr.  Kane  read  an  appropriate  and  beautiful  prayer, 
which  had  been  written  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop  of  New 
York,  expressly  for  the  use  of  the  Arctic  expedition.  There  was  some- 
thing in  these  devotional  exercises,  or  rather  in  the  circumstances  which 
ottended  them,  which  was  well  calculated  to  impress  every  auditor  with 
feelings  of  reverential  awe;  and  never  perhaps  did  the  incense  of 
prayer  ascend  to  the  Throne  of  Grace  from  hearts  more  truly  contrite 
and  sincere,  though  our  best  and  only  temple  was  a  dismantled  ship 
clasped  in  the  horrid  embrace  of  the  icy  ocean.  Many  of  the  wor- 
shipers there  assembled  had  lately  risen  from  beds  of  sickness,  and 
some  of  them  were  still  afflicted  with  a  painful  and  dangerous  disease, 
with  the  gloomy  probability  before  them  that  their  last  hours  would  be 
spent  far  away  from  home  and  kindred,  with  no  sympathizing  friend 
to  whisper  words  of  hope  and  consolation  in  the  hour  of  death,  and  no 
pious  drops  of  affection  to  soothe  the  anguish  of  their  last  moments. 
Even  the  wild  and  grotesque  appearance  of  the  worshipers,  in  their 
uncouth  fur  garments,  added  to  the  solemnity  of  the  scene,  by  forcibly 
reminding  us  of  our  isolated  condition,  far  removed  from  all  hope  of 
succor  and  aid  from  our  own  species.  But  we  reuicmbered  that  we 
8 


gONNTAd's    NARRATIVE   OF   THE   ORINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


115 


were  still  in  the  hands  of  that  powerful  and  benevolent  Being  whoso 
dominion  extends  even  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  and  this 
assurance  inspired  us  with  hope  and  confidence  ;  for  we  knew  that  no 
calamity  could  befall  us,  and  no  destruction  overtake  us,  without  his 
permission. 

It  was  in  the  afternoon  of  May  17,  that,  after  the  performance  of 
the  acts  of  devotion  just  spoken  of,  our  journey  was  commenced.  The 
atmosphere  was  very  much  obscured  by  a  dense  fog,  and  Nature  her- 
self appeared  to  assume  a  gloomy  and  foreboding  aspect.  We  began 
to  experience  the  formidable  difficulties  of  our  undertaking  at  the  very 
outset.  Our  dog  teams  were  useless  at  that  time,  as  the  strength  of 
the  animals  was  altogether  unequal  to  the  task  of  drawing  the  heavily 
laden  sledges.  It  was  necessary  therefore  that  the  men  themselves,  or 
such  of  them  as  were  not  disabled  by  sickness,  should  be  employed  in 
the  severe  labor  of  drawing  the  sledges  through  the  deep  snow  with 
which  the  frozen  surface  of  the  sea  was  covered.  A  canvas  strap 
was  attached  to  each  sledge,  and  the  men,  taking  this  strap  on  their 
shoulders  and  marching  in  Indian  file,  drew  the  ponderous  load  along 
by  dint  of  great  exertion,  their  progress  being  most  discouragingly 
slow,  scarcely  exceeding  half  a  mile  per  hour.  A  small  troop  of  pio- 
neers, armed  with  shovels  and  axes,  went  before,  to  free  the  track  as 
much  as  possible  from  obstructions. 

When  one  sledge,  with  its  superincumbent  boat  and  lading,  had  been 
dragged  by  the  tedious  and  laborious  process  I  have  described,  to  the 
distance  of  about  one  mile,  the  whole  party  returned  to  bring  the  se- 
cond boat  in  the  same  manner ;  and  so  with  the  third,  and  last.  In 
some  places  it  was  necessary  to  use  levers  to  force  the  sledges  over 
hummocks,  and  other  obstructions  which  could  not  otherwise  be  passed. 
Dr.  Kane,  in  the  mean  time,  was  engaged  in  conveying  provisions  in 
the  dog  sledge  to  a  point  some  distance  ahead,  where,  as  soon  as  he 
had  deposited  one  load,  he  returned  for  another.  By  the  time  at  which 
the  third  sledge  was  dragged  up  to  the  spot  where  the  two  others  were 
waiting,  the  men  were  all  so  thoroughly  fatigued  that  nothing  more 
could  be  done  that  evening,  although  we  had  advanced  scarcely  one  mile 
from  the  ship.  To  afford  the  men  an  opportunity  for  repose,  canvas 
covers  or  awnings  were  placed  over  two  of  the  boats,  and'  all  hands, 
(except  one  who  was  appointed  to  keep  watch)  "  turned  in,"  as  the 
sailors  say,  or  in  the  phraseology  of  the  land  service,  went  to  bed. 
Meanwhile  the  watchman,  who  also  exercised  the  functions  of  cook, 
prepared  a  pot  of  hot  tea  for  the  refreshment  of  hia  comrades  when 
they  should  turn  out. 


,    I 


.:S|!P 


ill 


P). 


IIG 


81INNTAO  8   NAllllATIVK   OF  TIIK   (lUIN.NEr-L   KXI'EDITION. 


The  slow  progress  we  made  was  diaheartening,  especially  when  we 
considered  that,  in  all  probability,  the  immense  platform  of  ice  over 
which  we  were  traveling  became  more  extensive  every  day,  as  the  freez- 
ing process  was  still  going  on.  The  difficulty  of  traveling  increased 
every  day — the  ice  becoming  rougher  as  we  proceeded  southward.  At 
many  places  the  current  beneath  had  worn  or  washed  the  ice  away, 
making  it  too  thin  and  frail  to  afford  us  a  safe  pathway.  Several 
times  the  sledges  broke  through,  and  it  required  our  most  strenuous 
exertions,  for  hours  at  a  time,  to  place  them  again  on  ice  that  was 
solid  enough  to  support  them.  Of  course,  the  men  broke  through  with 
the  sledges,  and  several  of  them  had  very  narrow  escapes  from  drown- 
ing. One  in  particular  disappeared  under  the  ice,  and  we  had  given 
him  up  for  lost,  when  to  our  great  surprise  and  gratification  he  ap- 
peared at  another  opening,  and  was  dragged  out  in  a  state  of  insensibi- 
lity, from  which  he  recovered  in  about  half  an  hour.  Besides  the 
danger  attending  these  accidents,  the  repeated  wettings  which  the  men 
received  were  seriously  afflictive — as  the  water  in  which  they  were 
submerged  was  of  the  temperature  of  melting  ice,  and  we  had  no  con- 
veniences for  warming  ourselves  or  drying  our  apparel.  Another  great 
trouble  to  us  was  the  prevalence  of  snow-blindness  among  our  party ; 
as  this  disease,  besides  producing  a  great  deal  of  suffering,  occasioned 
much  delay  and  inconvenience,  because  every  person  afflicted  with  the 
malady  was  compelled  to  keep  his  eyes  closely  bandaged,  and  to  be  led 
along  by  some  other  member  of  the  party  who  had  the  use  of  his  eyes. 
And  there  was  yet  another  cause  of  distress ;  our  provisions  began  to 
grow  scanty,  and  that  which  we  had  was  not  of  a  very  agreeable  or 
wholesome  quality.  We  suffered  very  much  from  this  cause,  especi- 
ally during  the  last  days  of  our  journey ;  and  we  might  have  been 
absolutely  starved  had  we  not,  by  a  fortunate  accident,  met  with  seve- 
ral Esquimaux  hunters,  who  charitably  supplied  us  with  some  sea-birds 
which  they  had  killed ;  and  on  these  we  subsisted  for  several  days  pre- 
vious to  our  arrival  at  open  water. 

The  temperature,  which  was  below  zero  when  we  left  the  ship,  became 
warmer  every  day ;  in  consequence  of  this  change,  the  snow  became 
soft  or  mushy,  and  our  men  were  obliged  to  travel  all  day  with 
wet  feet.  As  snow  appears  to  have  a  peculiar  tact  in  penetrating 
through  every  thing,  our  seal-skin  boots  afforded  us  very  little  protection 
from  the  dump  and  cold.  As  stated  above,  our  progress  seldom  ex- 
ceeded two  or  three  miles  fer  diem,  except  on  several  particular  occa- 
sions, when  we  happened  to  be  favored  with  a  fair  and  strong  wind. 


SONNTAd  S    NAUIIATIVK.       F   TIIK    IlIUXNELt,    EXPEDITION. 


117 


At  such  times  sails  were  lidiMtt'il  in  the  bouM,  and  ill  lianda  gettin'; 
aboard,  we  nkimmed  over  the  ice  with  nonsiderablo  r.'pidity,  but  ex- 
perienced some  difficulty  in  k  ping  the  boatH  on  the  right  course,  for 
want  of  suitable  steering  apparatus.  Sometimes  our  sledge-boats,  when 
propelled  in  this  manner,  would  bo  driven  into  huge  snow-drifts,  from 
which  they  could  scarcely  bo  extricated  with  all  the  exertions  that  wo 
were  able  to  make. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  our  carpenter,  Mr.  Ohlscn,  while  making 
great  efforts  to  return  one  of  the  boats  to  the  right  track,  ruptured  a 
blood-vessel  and  died  in  consequence  two  days  afterward.  Ilis  death 
was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  Expedition,  which  had  often  been  extri- 
cated from  great  difficulties  by  his  energy  and  ingenuity ;  indeed,  there 
was  no  man  of  the  party  whoso  individual  efforts  had  been  of  greater 
service  to  tho  enterprise.  The  circumstances  attending  his  death,  as 
well  as  the  loss  of  his  valuable  services,  made  a  very  painful  impression 
on  us  all.  Latterly  he  bad  shown  a  very  anxious  desire  to  return  to  his 
familj',  and  he  exerted  himself  more  than  ever  to  accomplish  this  object ; 
but  when  the  principal  obstacles  were  surmounted,  and  wo  were  almost 
within  view  of  the  open  sea,  this  most  unfortunate  accident  took  place, 
effectually  cutting  off  all  hopes  of  his  return  to  his  wife  and  children. 
When  he  perceived  that  his  speedy  death  was  inevitable,  the  only  feel- 
ings of  regret  which  seemed  to  disturb  the  tranquillity  of  his  last 
moments,  were  apprehensions  for  the  welfare  of  his  family,  and  the 
painful  thought  that  he  must  die  so  far  away  from  the  dearest  object  of 
his  affections. 

After  ho  had  breathed  his  last,  the  company  halted  for  several  hours 
to  provide  means  for  his  interment.  These  means  were  scanty  indeed, 
for  we  had  not  even  boards  enough  to  make  a  coffin ;  but  a  tomb  was 
provided  for  him  in  u  manner  most  unlooked  for  and  surprising  to  us 
all.  We  happened  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  small  isolated  spot 
of  ground  called  Littleton  Island,  which  had  formerly  been  discovered  by 
Captain  Inglefield.  As  this  offered  a  suitable  place  for  burial,  we  took 
the  corpse  on  shore ;  and  you  may  judge  what  was  our  astonishment 
when  almost  the  first  object  we  discovered  on  this  island,  was  a  grave, 
which  Nature  herself  had  excavated  from  the  rock !  The  form  and  size 
of  this  sepulchre  were  exactly  adapted  to  the  melancholy  purpose  which 
we  came  thither  to  accomplish ;  and  while  we  performed  the  funeral  rites 
of  our  deceased  companion,  a  feeling  of  superstitious  awe  seemed  to 
pervade  the  whole  company,  as  we  stood  around  the  tomb  which 
appeared  to  have  been  miraculously  provided  for  the  occasion.     We 


'!i 


,<ljlj 


m 
H 

n 


SONNTAG's   NAURATIVE   of   the   (JRINNELTi   EXPEDITION. 


119 


covered  the  grave  with  moss  and  stones,  securing  it  from  the  depreda- 
tion of  wild  beasts ;  and  this  was  the  only  monument  we  could  afford  to 
the  memory  of  a  man  who  had  perished  in  the  service  of  the  cause  of 
science,  and  who  better  deserves  to  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance 
than  many  whose  epitaphs  and  dubious  panegyrics  are  recorded  on 
brass  and  marble. 


M 


CHAPTER    XV. 

ARRIVAL  AT  OPEN  WATER. — EMBARKATION. — ADVENTURES  AT  SEA. — 
ARRIVAL  AT  IIAKLUYT'S  ISLAND. — GREAT  SPORTSMANSHIP. — DREARY 
ASPECT  OF  THE  COAST. — THE  TRANSPORTATION  OF  ROCKS  BY  ICEBERGS. 
— SCARCITY  OF  PROVISIONS. — LARGE  SUPPLIES  OF  DUCK  EGGS. — WANT 
OF   FUEL  TO  COOK  THEM. 


A  FEW  days  after  the  sad  accident  recorded  in  the  last  chapter,  we 
reached  the  edge  of  the  open  water,  which,  in  that  direction  and  at 
that  time,  was  eighty  miles  from  the  ship ;  but,  as  we  had  been  com- 
pelled to  proceed  in  a  circuitous  course,  we  must  have  traveled  over  two 
two  hundred  miles  of  ice.  But  as  soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  open  sea 
a  heavy  gale  from  the  southwest  set  in,  which  broke  up  the  ice  at  the 
edges  without  floating  it  away ;  and,  for  several  days,  the  boats  were 
obliged  to  retreat,  in  order  to  find  a  secure  position  on  the  fast  ice,  as 
the  breaking  up  at  the  edge  was  continued  by  the  heavy  swell  from  the 
southwest.  The  open  sea,  which  now  rolled  before  us  in  all  its  majesty, 
presented  a  grand  spectacle,  and  a  very  agreeable  one  to  us.  The 
large,  unincumbered  expanse  of  water  was  bounded  only  by  the  hori- 
zon ;  no  other  limits  were  discoverable  even  from  the  tallest  ice-hills. 
The  dark  color  of  this  watery  expanse  was  to  us  an  object  of  curiosity, 
so  strongly  was  it  contrasted  with  the  white  surfaces  of  ice  and  snow 
to  which  we  had  been  accustomed  for  two  years.  The  change  was  a 
most  grateful  relief  to  the  diseased  eyes  of  some  of  our  people,  who  had 
been  almost  deprived  of  the  sense  of  sight  by  the  dazzling  brightness 
of  the  snow  and  ice. 

Large  icebergs  were  seen  in  rapid  motion ;  the  high,  white-capped 
waves  breaking  on  them  and  dashing  the  spray  aloft,  while  the  sun- 
beams, glancing  through  the  misty  showers,  imparted  to  them  all  the 
richest  and  loveliest  tints  of  the  rainbow. 

On  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth  day  of  June  the  gale  had  ceased, 
and  the  boats  were  launched  from  the  icy  embankment.  A  light 
breeze,  which  soon  increased  to  a  moderate  gale,  relieved  the  men  from 
the  labor  of  the  oar.  All  were  in  good  spirits,  as  no  discouraging 
obstacles  were  now  opposed  to  our  progress.  Within  the  first  day  after 
we  had  betaken  ourselves  to  the  boats  we  proceeded  almost  as  far  on 
(120) 


so  N  NT  AG  S   NAUllATIVE   OF   THE  GRINNKLL  EXPEDITION. 


121 


our  homeward  course  as  we  had  done  in  the  preceding  month;  and 
this  we  did  with  scarcely  any  exertion  at  all,  whereas  our  mouth's 
journey  over  the  ice  was  a  labor  worthy  of  Alcides  himself.  In  the 
afternoon,  after  a  run  of  about  fifty  miles,  we  were  brought  up  by  a 
collection  of  ice,  which,  being  broken  up  in  small  pieces,  was  a  com- 
plete obstruction  (though  a  temporary  one)  to  our  passage.  All  hands 
then  turned  in  and  took  a  comfortable  nap  of  eight  or  ten  hours,  leaving 
but  one  of  our  party  to  keep  watch.  On  the  next  morning  the  ice  had 
opened  suflSciently  to  give  us  a  clear  track.  When  we  had  proceeded, 
with  all  sails  set,  a  little  more  than  fifteen  .niles,  and  were  but  a  short 
distance  from  a  small  island  called  Hakluyt,  a  gale  from  the  south 
sprung  up,  and  soon  became  so  violent  that  we  deemed  it  prudent  to 
steer  for  the  land.  After  immense  labor  (having  to  work  against  a 
head  wind)  and  no  little  danger,  we  reached  the  island,  in  struggling 
to  gain  which  we  had  consumed  several  hours.  One  of  our  boats  was 
nearly  filled  with  water,  and  all  of  them  had  sustained  damages  which 
made  repairs  necessary.  On  this  island  we  were  compelled  to  remain 
two  days,  before  the  ice  and  wind  permitted  us  to  proceed  on  our 
voyage. 

The  coast  which  had  been  in  eight  to  the  eastward  during  a  great 
part  of  our  trip,  is  one  of  the  most  desolate  that  imagination  ever  por- 
trayed. Mountains,  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  feet  in  height, 
rise  from  the  sea  and  extend  almost  without  intervals  along  the  whole 
coast.  These  mountains  are  covered  with  snow,  where  the  sides  are 
not  too  precipitous  to  retain  it.  The  precipices  show  the  dark  naked 
rock,  unrelieved  by  a  single  tree,  bush,  or  any  sign  of  vegetation.  The 
few  valleys  which  appear  between  these  mountains  are  occupied  by 
those  rivers  of  ice  called  glaciers  which  emerge  from  the  great  ice 
basin,  which  covers  all  the  interior  and  extends  to  the  sea,  squeezing 
through  every  passage,  and  heaping  up  those  immense  mountains  of 
floating  ice  with  which  these  waters  abound.  In  no  part  of  the  world 
is  the  aspect  of  nature  so  repulsive.  Nothing  is  visible  but  ice,  water, 
and  rock.  In  the  midst  of  these  ice  streams,  which  often  present,  at 
the  point  of  junction  with  the  sea,  a  face  of  more  than  ten  miles  in 
breadth,  sometimes  are  seen  dark  rocky  peaks  of  great  height  and 
completely  surrounded  by  ice.  The  semifluid  rivers  of  ice  being  divided 
into  two  branches  by  these  peaks,  are  reunited  after  they  have  passed  by 
the  obstruction,  but  a  black  line  extends  from  the  point  of  reunion  to 
the  sea.  This  black  line  consists  of  the  stones  and  rubbish  which  the 
glacier  carries  away  from  the  sides  of  the  peak,  and  afterward  inserts 
them  in  the  icebergs  formed  on  the  coast.     By  these  again  they  are 


I, 


SONNTAQ  8    NARKATIVE   OF   THK   OUINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


123 


•f. 


t/; 


conveyed  over  seas  to  remote  shores,  where  they  are  deposited  on  the 
bottom  when  the  icebergs  melt.  Some  of  these  stones  or  boulders  are  as 
large  as  medium-sized  houses.  It  sometimes  happens  that  they  are  de- 
posited by  icebergs  on  planes  or  platforms  of  rock  of  a  very  different 
kind,  situated  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  thousands  of  miles  from  the 
place  of  their  origin.  Here  they  remain  isolated,  and  when  the  land 
rises,  as  it  now  does  in  Sweden,  Norway,  and  the  west  coast  of 
South  America,  the  boulders  are  brought  to  light  and  attract  atten- 
tion by  their  singularity,  as  no  similar  rocks  perhaps  are  to  be  found 
within  a  compass  of  several  hundred  miles.  Such  phenomena,  not  very 
lung  ago,  caused  much  embarrassment  among  geologists,  who  were  un- 
able to  explain  how  these  masses  of  stone  were  transported  to  such  great 
distances  from  the  sites  of  their  original  location. 

It  is  a  curious  speculation,  but  not  a  very  improbable  one,  to  suppose 
that  those  large  masses  of  stone,  evidently  of  foreign  origin,  which  are 
now  found  on  the  plains  of  northern  Germany,  and  in  other  parts  of 
Europe ;  and  which,  more  than  a  thousand  years  ago,  supplied  altars 
for  Druidical  sacrifice,  were  transported  by  erratic  icebergs  at  some  very 
remote  time,  from  the  mountains  of  the  Polar  regions.  These  tran- 
sportations are  certainly  among  the  most  wonderful  operations  of 
nature. 

After  we  left  Hakluyt  Island,  (our  first  resting  place  subsequent  to 
our  embarkation,)  our  progress  was  less  rapid  than  it  was  on  the  first 
day  of  our  voyage  in  the  boats.  Immense  quantities  of  drifting  ice 
often  interrupted  our  passage  ;  and,  on  several  occasions,  we  were  com- 
pelled to  lay  by  for  several  days  at  a  time.  At  the  commencement  of 
our  trip  we  shot  a  great  number  of  birds  called  little  auks,  which  in 
our  straitened  circumstances  were  considered  as  tolerably  palatable 
food.  These  birds  migrate,  every  spring,  from  the  latitude  of  Labra- 
dor to  the  regions  of  the  high  north,  where  they  perform  their  incuba- 
tion, returning  with  their  brood  in  September.  Their  nests  are  placed 
on  the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  artfully  concealed  under  stones,  so  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  find  them.  These  fowls  are  very  numerous  ; 
the  flocks  of  them  being  even  larger  than  those  of  the  wild  pigeons,  which 
visit  some  parts  of  the  United  States.  The  mountains  and  seas  are 
often  covered  for  many  miles  with  the  auks ;  millions  of  them  at  a  time 
must  have  been  in  sight  from  our  boats.  They  were  so  densely  crowded 
together  that  the  most  unskillful  or  unlucky  gunner  could  not  fail  to 
make  a  good  shot.  This  was  rare  sport  for  those  who  liked  it.  Scarcely 
troubling  ourselves  to  take  aim,  we  blazed  away,  and  very  often  twenty 
or  thirty  auks  were  killed  by  each  discharge  of  the  gun.     The  qu.intity 


124 


SONNT.Va  S   NAKRATrVR   OK   THE   GUINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


of  these  birds  consumed  by  our  party  was  enormous.  Each  of  us  ate 
from  three  to  six  at  a  meal,  and  all  of  the  men  who  could  be  spared 
from  the  service  of  the  boats  were  almost  constantly  employed  in  pre- 
paring them  for  the  kettle.  Lest  this  account  should  cause  us  to  be 
suspected  of  ogre-like  voracity,  let  me  remark  that  the  auk  is  not 
larger  than  a  snipe,  and  that  we  had  nothing  to  eat  with  them — no 
vegetables,  and  very  often  no  bread.  Besides,  the  Arctic  breezes,  as  I 
have  mentioned  in  another  place,  have  a  surprising  eflfect  in  sharpening 
the  appetite. 


ARCTIC     DOG     SLEDGE — FULL    GALLOP. 


But  this  abundant  supply  of  birds  was  of  short  continuance.  As 
yfe  increased  our  distance  from  the  shore  the  auks  became  scarcer,  and 
very  soon  we  saw  no  more  of  them.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  fortu- 
nate supply  of  birds,  it  is  probable  that  our  stock  of  provisions  would 
have  been  exhausted  before  we  could  have  reached  any  place  where 
fresh  supplies  might  be  obtained.  As  it  was,  we  were  compelled  to 
content  ourselves  with  very  short  rations,  consisting  of  two  ounces  of 
bread  and  a  spoonful  of  lard  for  each  meal.  Such  small  %!lo\\  :-nce  of 
provisions  did  not  agree  very  well  with  the  large  amount  of  Avork  which 
our  men  were  required  to  perform.  The  consequence  was  that  many 
of  them  became  sick,  and  all  of  them  were  too  weak  to  execute  their 
tasks  in  a  very  efficient  manner. 

About  the  middle  of  July  we  reached  another  little  island  called 
Dallrymple  Rock,  where  wo  procured  a  good  supply  of  fresh  provisions. 


60NNTA0  S   NAHRATIVE   OF   Tllli   OlllNMail,    KXl'KUITiON. 


ijr. 


This  island  is  a  great  place  of  resort  for  eider  ducks,  and  here  we  found 
their  eggs  in  great  abundance.  During  the  two  or  three  days  of  our  abode 
on  this  island,  where  we  were  detained  by  the  closely  packed  ice  and  the 
want  of  favorable  winds — several  thousands  of  these  duck  eggs  were 
collected  from  this  small  rocky  island,  which  is  little  more  than  a  mile 
in  circumference.  These  eggs  are  nearly  twice  as  large  as  hen's  eggs, 
the  shells  are  of  a  greenish  color,  and  the  taste  of  the  enclosed  ali- 
ment is  very,  miich  like  that  of  the  common  duck  eggs,  rather  stronger 
perhaps;  but  as  our  stomachs  were  strong  likewise,  they  were  not 
daunted  by  the  flavor  of  the  eggs.  The  nests  of  these  ducks  are  of  a 
circular  form,  and  are  composed  entirely  of  eider-down,  which  the  bird 
plucks  from  her  own  breast  for  the  purpose  of  forming  her  "procreant 
cradle."  The  stock  of  eggs  which  we  laid  in  at  this  place  furnished 
us  with  provisions  for  several  days,  but  afforded  very  little  variety  in 
the  way  of  eating.  We  breakfasted,  dined,  and  supped  on  eggs,  and  on 
eggs  only,  except  a  small  allowance  of  bread  at  each  meal.  However, 
we  had  a  sufficiency  of  eggs,  and  that  to  people  in  our  situation  was  a 
blessing  for  which  we  felt  bound  to  be  grateful. 

But  another  difficulty  now  occurred  to  us.  Our  fuel  had  become 
very  scarce,  and  we  apprehended  that  we  should  soon  be  unable  to  get 
our  eggs  cooked.  Before  we  left  the  United  States  we  laid  in  a  large 
stock  of  pork  fat,  intended  for  lamp  fuel  and  other  combustible  pur- 
poses ;  but  this  article  had  now  become  extremely  scarce.  It  was  re- 
solved, therefore,  in  solemn  conclave,  that  the  lard  fuel  should  he 
reserved  for  the  purpose  of  boiling  our  tea,  and  that  the  eggs  should 
thenceforth  be  eaten  raw ;  which  resolution  was  carried  into  effect, 
much  to  the  discomfort  of  some  of  o^r  party. 


I 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WE  ARRIVE  AT  A  SPOT  WELL  POPULATED  BY  FEATHERED  BIPEDS. — 
GREAT  SLAUGHTER  OP  THE  INHABITANTS. — WE  EXPECT  TO  MEET 
WITH  WHALERS,  BUT  ARE  DISAPPOINTED. — VEXATIOUS  DECEPTIONS 
PRACTICED  OX  US  BY  THE  ICEBERGS. — ARRIVAL  AT  MELVILLE 
BAY. —  DIFFICULTIES  OF  NAVIGATION  AT  THAT  POINT.— THREE  WHITE 
MEN  ARE  DISCOVERED  ON  AN  ISLAND. — ARRIVAL  AT  A  DANISH  SET- 
TLEMENT THE    END   OP  THE  FAMOUS  BOAT  JOURNEY. 

JusT  at  the  time  when  all  our  eggs  were  used  up,  our  progress  was 
effectually   stopped  by  large  floes  of  ice  which  adhered  to  the  shore, 
and  were  too  thin  to  admit  of  the  transportation  of  our  boats  over 
them  on  sledge-runners  as  formerly.    All  that  we  could  do,  therefore, 
was  to  wait  patiently  until,  by  the  action  of  the  wind  and  waves,  tliis 
obstruction  should  be  broken  up  or  removed.     We  landed  on  the  coast, 
where  we  were  detained  for  three  weeks ;  but  fortunately  the  place 
afforded  us  an  ample  supply  of  food.     This  locality  was  a  "rookery" 
of  loons,  situated  among  some  cliffs,  which  rise  from  one  thousand  to 
fifteen  hundred  feet  perpendicularly  from  the  sea.     The  loon  is  a  ma- 
rine bird  which  migrates,  like  the  little  auk,  to  high  northern  latitudes, 
in  the  summer  season,  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  its  eggs  and  hatch- 
ing them.     The  rocky  precipices  were  covered  with  these  animals.     On 
every  little  projecting  shelf  of  the  rock  the  birds  were  seen  in  close 
ranks,  sitting  on  their  eggs.     Very  often  fifty  or  more  of  them  were 
ranged  in  one  straight  line  with  their  breasts  toward  the  sea.    They 
do  not  build  any  nests,  but  hold  their  eggs  on  their  feet,  and  so  perform 
the  operation  of  hatching  them.     They  execute  this  maternal  office 
with  admirable  patience.     The  water  from  the  melting  snow  often  runs 
from  the  rocks  above  directly  under  them ;  but  they  seem  to  disregard 
this  inconvenience.     The  noise  made  by  the  vast  congregation  of  birds 
which  frequent  these  rocks  is  almost  stunning,  exceeding  the  roar  of 
Niagara ;  millions  of  the  feathered  performers  being  engaged  in  the 
grand  concert.     Their  melody,  however,  is  not  of  the  most  fascinating 
kind.     To  say  the  truth  we  did  not  like  their  music,  and  therefore  we 
felt  no  compunction  or  remorse  when  we  fired  among  the  vocalists,  and 
silenced  some  of  them  most  effectually.    When  a  gun  is  discharged  into 
the  rookery,  so  many  birds  fly  up  that  the  sky  seems  to  be  filled  with 

(127) 


128 


SONNTAQ  S   NARRATIVE   OF  THE   ORINNELT,   EXI'KDITION. 


I   ' 


them,  considerably  thicker  than  "  the  leaves  which  strew  the  autumnal 
floods  in  Valambrosa,"  and  the  horizon,  for  a  time,  is  scarcely  visible. 
Bift  the  vast  numbers  which  rise  on  their  wings  make  no  perceptible 
diminution  of  the  less  timid  crowds  which  remain  on  the  rocks.  From 
two  to  five,  and  sometimes  more,  are  killed  at  every  shot;  and  such  is 
tlic  thronged  condition  of  the  birds,  that  it  makes  little  difference 
whether  you  take  aim  or  not.  As  the  startled  flocks  rise  up  at  the 
report  of  the  gun,  immense  quantities  of  eggs  are  thrown  into  the  sea ; 
nor  is  this  the  only  waste,  for  at  least  a  half  of  the  birds  which  are 
shot  fall  on  the  shelves  of  the  rock  where  they  were  sitting,  and 
remain  there,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  gunner.  A  suflScient  number 
however  fell  down  on  the  ice  or  water  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  and 
these  were  reserved  for  the  uses  of  our  culinary  department. 

The  average  weight  of  a  loon  is  about  two  pounds.  The  leg^!,  wings, 
and  bill  of  this  bird,  like  those  of  the  little  auk,  are  black.  The 
breast  is  white.  Two  of  them  are  often  seen  fighting  on  the  surface 
of  the  water,  and  they  are  so  intent  on  their  belligerent  operations  that 
nothing  else  can  attract  their  notice  until  the  duel  is  ended.  While 
these  fights  were  going  on,  a  man  in  s  boat  often  approached  the  scene 
of  battle,  and  took  possession  of  one  or  both  of  the  combatants  with 
perfect  case ;  their  warlike  ardor  not  allowing  t  ■  cm  to  perceive  the 
advance  of  their  common  enemy.  While  we  were  waiting  under  these 
cliffs  for  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  we  feasted  luxuriously  on  loons 
and  their  eggs — and  likewise  put  up  for  future  use  several  bags  full  of 
the  birds,  which  were  cleaned  and  dried  for  the  purpose. 

In  the  meanwhile,  a  watch  was  kept  for  whaling  vessels,  as  we  were 
now  in  the  track  which  is  frequented  by  ships  engaged  in  that  service. 
Several  times  we  were  all  excited  by  the  report  that  a  ship  was  in  sight, 
but  in  all  cases  this  proved  to  be  a  mistake.  The  object  which  our  man 
on  the  lookout  mistook  for  a  ship,  invariably  proved  to  be  an  iceberg ; 
and  the  mistake  was  excusable,  for  the  bergs  are  very  deceptive  when 
seen  at  a  distance,  assuming  all  imaginable  forms,  and  old  sailors  are 
often  deceived  by  their  close  resemblance  to  ships  in  full  sail.  The  de- 
lusion is  sometimes  most  wonderful ;  the  spectator  sees,  or  imagines  he 
sees  the  mast,  sails  and  rigging  all  traced  out  with  the  greatest  pre- 
cision, the  dark  lines  which  help  to  make  out  the  picture  being  nothing 
more  than  the  stones,  earth,  and  rubbish  which  are  incorporated  with 
the  ice.  I  have  often  been  startled  by  the  appearance  of  magnificent 
buildings  rising  from  the  sea ;  and  not  until  I  had  been  repeatedly 
taught  by  experience  that  the  appearance  was  fallacious,  could  I  be 
persuaded  that  the  splendid  object  before  me  was  merely  an  iceberg. 


80NNTAG  8    NAUKATIVE  OF   THE   OHINNELL    KXl'EIMTION. 


129 


After  many  euch  excitements  and  disappointments,  the  ice  opened 
sufficiently  to  let  the  boats  pass.  Wo  tlien  worked  our  way  slowly 
along  the  coast,  passing  another  community  of  little  auks  and  observing 
a  constant  succession  of  dreary  mountainous  scenery  such  as  I  have 
described  in  the  preceding  chapter.  The  position  of  the  ice  was  always 
changing  with  the  changes  of  the  tides,  closing  in  toward  the  shore 
when  the  tide  set  in  that  direction  and  opening  again  when  the  tide  set 
outward.  Wo  were  obliged  therefore  to  be  always  on  the  alert,  laying 
by  and  sheltering  ourselves  in  the  cover  when  the  ice  pressed  in  toward 
the  shore,  and  proceeding  onward  as  expeditiously  as  possible  when  the 
track  was  reopened.  Warping  along  in  this  way  made  severe  labor 
for  the  men,  who  were  kept  actively  employed  so  long  as  the  passage 
remained  unobstructed,  which  was  sometimes  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hours.  The  time  allowed  them  for  repose  was  seldom  moi-e  than  five  or 
six  hours  per  diem. 

By  the  nineteenth  day  of  June  we  reached  Cape  York,  at  the  en- 
trance of  Melville  Bay.  This  bay  is  an  indentation  on  the  coast  of 
Greenland  of  sixty  miles  in  depth.  It  lies  south  and  east  of  Cape 
York  and  to  the  north  of  a  point  called  the  Devil's  Thumb.  From  this 
point  to  Cape  York  the  water  is  generally  covered  with  immense  fields 
of  ice,  called  by  navigators  the  "land-ice,"  or  "fast-ice  of  Melville 
Bay,"  along  the  edges  of  which  the  whalers  work  their  way  to  the  north. 
Outside  of  this  vast  ice-cake  are  moving  fields  of  ice  composed  of  slabs 
or  pieces  of  all  sizes,  which  are  broken  up  by  the  motion  of  the  water 
and  their  collision  with  each  other.  This  last-mentioned  ice  is  called  by 
sailors  "  the  middle  pack,"  it  is  in  constant  motion,  being  driven  about 
oy  the  winds  and  currents.  This  collection  of  ice  is  formed  by  the  dis- 
charges from  the  several  channels  of  Lancaster,  Jones',  Smith's,  and 
Whale  Sounds,  which  discharges  are  accumulated  at  this  point  by  the 
currents  flowing  in  various  directions.  On  the  west  coast  of  Greenland 
or  east  side  of  Baffin's  Bay,  a  current  sets  in  and  runs  northward  until 
it  approaches  Cape  York,  when  it  turns  to  the  west.  When  it  reaches 
Lancaster  Sound  it  unites  with  a  current  proceeding  from  that  channel, 
and  both  together  run  southward  along  the  western  side  of  Baffin's  Bay 
or  the  east  coast  of  North  America. 

There  is  a  large  expanse  of  slack-water  between  the  current  running 
northward  on  the  east  side  of  the  Bay,  and  that  which  runs  southward 
on  the  west  side.  In  this  slack-water  the  ice  carried  out  by  these  cur- 
rents is  accumulated,  and  forms  those  large  tracts  of  movable  ice  called 
the  Middle  Pack.  By  southerly  and  westerly  winds  this  puck  is 
driven  toward  the    fast-ice,    and  then  the  passage   through  Melville 


iONNTAd's 


Uay  is  shut  up.     Bi 

cast,  and  then  there 

ico  and  the  "pack." 

causes,  the  pai  k  ico 

the  ships  which  hap 

situation,  as  wo  have 

For  tho  most  par 

with  fair  winds  and  i 

Only  on  a  few  occasi 

to  transport  tho  hoa 

one  time  wo  were  ful 

found  it  necessary  to 

age,  and  all  hands  wc 

of  bread  for  each  inc 

manship  of  Mr.  Pete 

pected  relief,     lie  h 

supplied  us  not  only 

Tho  whole  compan;] 

supply  of  provisions, 

and  our  progress  was 

On  tho  third  day  i 

moving  onward  quite  1 

the  north.     Our  squai 

one,  tho  Little  Bingt 

Melville  Bay.    She  wa 

swift.     Finding  there 

condemned  her  to  the 

excuse  for  supplying  o 

condemned  boat  was  e 

our  remaining  boats  hi 

Tho  fourth  of  Augi 

that  day  wo  saw  the  f 

own  party,  wc  had  see 

persons  was   almost  a 

kindred.     The    manne 

While  we  were  sailing 

heard,  and  soon,  throu 

the  islands ;  shortly  afti 

three  men  were  discov( 

exchange  greetings  wi 

oars,  and  the  boats  we 


gONNTAdS   NAUnATIVK   OF  THE   ORINNELL   EXI'EDITJON. 


181 


I    i 


Hay  is  shut  up.  But  it  is  opened  again  by  winds  from  the  north  aod 
cast,  and  then  there  is  an  unobstructed  track  for  ships  between  the  fast- 
ico  and  the  "puck."  Often  when  the  wind  changes,  and  from  other 
causes,  the  pa(  k  ice  is  driven  in  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  and  then 
the  ships  which  happen  to  bo  in  the  passage  are  in  a  very  dangerous 
situation,  as  wo  have  explained  in  a  former  part  of  this  narrative. 

For  the  most  part  of  the  time  our  little  fleet  of  boats  was  favored 
with  fair  winds  and  a  free  passage  through  these  accumulations  of  ice. 
Only  on  a  few  occasions  were  we  obliged  to  resort  to  our  sledgo  runners 
to  transport  the  boats  over  ice  cakes  which  shut  up  our  passage.  At 
one  time  we  were  full  seventy  miles  from  the  nearest  land.  Wo  again 
found  it  necessary  to  economize  our  provisions  in  this  part  of  our  voy- 
age, and  all  hands  were  put  on  the  very  short  allowance  of  two  ounces 
of  bread  for  each  individual,  at  a  meal.  In  this  exigency,  the  marks- 
manship of  Mr.  Petersen,  the  Danish  interpreter,  afforded  us  unex- 
pected relief.  He  had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  a  largo  seal,  which 
supplied  us  not  only  with  meat,  but  also  with  fat  or  blubber  for  fuel. 

The  whole  company  was  much  revived  and  inspirited  by  this  timely 
supply  of  provisions,  whereby  the  men  were  enabled  to  do  more  work, 
and  our  progress  was  somewhat  accelerated. 

On  the  third  day  of  August  the  boats  were  again  in  open  water, 
moving  onward  quite  briskly  under  the  impulse  of  a  fresh  breeze  from 
the  north.  Our  squadron  now  consisted  only  of  two  boats ;  the  third 
one,  the  Little  Dingy,  was  cut  up  for  firewood  soon  after  we  entered 
Melville  Bay.  She  was  smaller  than  the  other  two  boats,  and  much  less 
swift.  Finding  therefore  that  she  only  retarded  our  movements,  we 
condemned  her  to  the  flames ;  and  wo  were  rather  glad  to  have  a  fair 
excuse  fox  supplying  ourselves  with  such  capital  fuel.  The  crew  of  the 
condemned  boat  was  equally  divided  between  the  other  two,  so  each  of 
our  remaining  boats  had  eight  men. 

The  fourth  of  August  was  a  memorable  day.  In  the  afternoon  of 
that  day  wo  saw  the  first  white  men  which,  with  the  exception  of  our 
own  party,  wc  had  seen  for  more  than  two  years.  The  sight  of  these 
persons  was  almost  as  grateful  to  us  as  if  they  had  been  our  own 
kindred.  The  manner  of  our  nucting  with  them  was  as  follows. 
While  we  were  sailing  among  some;  small  islands,  human  voices  were 
heard,  and  soon,  through  the  spy-glass,  we  discovered  a  tent  on  one  of 
the  islands;  shortly  after  we  observed  the  masts  of  a  large  boat ;  and  then 
three  men  were  discovered  on  the  side  of  a  hill.  So  eager  were  we  to 
exchange  greetings  with  them,  that  all  hands  betook  themselves  to  the 
oars,  and  the  boats  were  made  to  shoot  with  arrow-like  swiftness  to  the 


132 


SONNTAG'S   narrative  01"  THE  ORINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


shore.  The  strangers  proved  to  be  three  Danes,  who  had  come  thither 
in  a  very  large  boat  to  procure  oil  and  blubber  from  the  Esquimaux, 
whose  summer  habitations  are  scattered  about  on  these  islands.  Our 
new  acquaintances  were  from  the  northernmost  Danish  settlement, 
called  Upernavik.  They  behaved  in  the  most  hospitable  manner, 
offering  us  three  luxuries  which  we  had  almost  forgotten,  viz.,  coffee, 
beer,  and  tobacco,  all  of  which  were  thankfully  accepted.  According 
to  the  estimate  of  these  Danes  we  were  sixteen  Danish  miles,  equal  to 
seventy-five  statute  miles  from  Upervavik. 


SEALS. 


Wo  made  a  halt  for  several  hours  with  these  persons,  partaking  of  the 
refreshments  which  they  freely  offered  us,  after  which  we  re-embarked 
and  steered  directly  for  the  settlement,  which  we  reached  on  the  eighth 
of  Augujt,  having  been  much  incommoded  on  the  last  days  of  our  voy- 
age by  the  densest  fog  that  ever  came  under  my  observation. 

Our  arrival  made  a  tremendous  sensation  among  the  people  of  the 
settlement,  who  all  assembled  on  the  beach  to  receive  us,  and  wonder 
at  our  outlandish  and  almost  unearthly  appearance.  Mr.  Petersen,  our 
interpreter,  was  a  resident  of  this  place,  and  his  wife  and  children  were 
among  those  who  thronged  the  beach  to  give  us  a  welcome.     The  meet- 


sonntaq's  narrative  op  the  grinnell  expedition. 


133 


ing  of  Mr.  Petersen  and  his  relations,  some  of  whom  probably  never 
expected  to  see  him  again,  was  joyful  to  themselves  and  affecting  to 
the  spectators.  The  joy  of  his  wife  was  the  more  excessive,  because 
she  had  been  impressed  with  the  belief  that  he  would  never  return,  the 
dangers  of  Arctic  travel  being  much  magnified  by  her  affectionate 
solicitude.  Our  boats  were  hauled  up  on  shore,  and  our  people  slept 
in  them  that  night  for  the  last  time. 


4'^-  ^i»< 


!  ifil 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

OUR  COOL  RECEPTION  AT  UPERNAVIK. — THE  ESQUIMAUX  TREAT  US  HAND- 
SOMELY.— THE  CURIOUS  RELIGIOUS  NOTIONS  OF  THESE  PEOPLE. — 
THEIR  GOVERNMENT. — THEIR  STRANGE  DUELS. — IMPROVEMENTS  IN 
THEIR   MODES   OF  LIVING. 

The  governor  of  the  settlement,  Mr.  Fleischer,  was  absent,  and, 
■without  his  permission  nothing  could  be  given  out  of  the  public  stores. 
We  were  compelled,  therefore,  to  live  for  several  days  on  the  provisions 
•which  we  had  brought  with  us  from  the  north,  hoping  that  we  should 
fare  better  when  the  governor  had  returned.  We  were  quartered  in  a 
loft  over  a  storehouse,  and  our  mode  of  living  was  not  much  more  stylish 
and  comfortable  than  it  had  been  for  the  preceding  three  months  in  the 
boats.  The  Esquimaux  inhabitants  and  the  priest,  Mr.  Kragh,  showed 
us  much  kindness.  Observing  that  the  loft  in  which  we  lodged  was  too 
cool  to  be  agreeable,  they  invited  us  to  their  tents,  giving  us  permission 
to  sleep  on  the  floors,  but  they  were  unable  to  aiford  us  any  bedding ; 
we  were  constrained,  therefore,  to  use  that  which  we  had  brought  with 
us  from  the  ship.  We  remained  here  about  three  weeks,  waiting  for 
the  Danish  vessel  which  makes  an  annual  visit  to  the  settlement.  On 
the  arrival  of  this  vessel  a  passage  for  the  whole  company  was  engaged. 
The  vessel  was  a  brig  called  the  3Iariana,  of  about  two  hundred  tons 
burden.  On  her  departure  she  was  freighted  with  seal  skins  and  oil ; 
and  as  the  cabin  was  merely  large  enough  to  accommodate  three  per- 
sons, it  was  appropriated  to  Dr.  Kane  and  two  of  his  officers.  The 
others  were  lodged  a-midships,  among  the  oil  casks,  but  the  captain 
endeavored  to  make  the  whole  party  as  comfortable  as  possible. 

The  Esquimaux  inhabitants  of  the  Upernavik  settlement  appeared 
to  be  sorry  to  part  with  us.  In  justice  to  them  I  must  say  that  they 
bad  treated  us  much  better  than  the  other  settlers  did,  though  the  latter 
pretend  to  more  civilization.  As  I  became  more  intimately  acquainted 
with  these  singular  people,  I  felt  disposed  to  like  them  better.  Of  all 
savages,  so  called,  they  are,  perhaps,  the  most  amiable — especially  those 
of  them  who  have  been  least  in  correspondence  or  contact  with  civilized 
nations.     While  we  remained  at  this  settlement  I  applied  myself  to 

.    ;;•-.;;  ..   ;  ;  ,  .  (135) 


>  I  I    (      I 


136 


PONNTAG  S   NARRATIVE   OP  THE   GRINNELL   EXPEDITION. 


the  study  of  the  Esquimaux  character;  and  being  under  the  necessity, 
like  my  comrades,  of  passing  much  of  my  time  in  the  Esquimaux  huts, 
I  had  very  good  opportunities  for  learning  various  particulars  con- 
cerning their  customs,  religious  impressions,  &c.,  vrhich,  not  being  com- 
prised in  my  former  accounts  of  these  tribes,  may  be  here  introduced, 
Tvith  the  hope  that  they  will  be  as  interesting  to  my  readers  as  they 
•were  to  myself. 

All  the  Esquimaux  tribes  depend  on  the  sea,  or  the  productions 
thereof,  for  their  subsistence :  their  places  of  residence,  therefore,  arc 
always  near  the  coasts  or  on  small  islands.  Their  dwellings  are 
sparsely  distributed  over  a  large  space ;  thus  the  tribe  which  inhabits 
the  shores  at  the  bead  of  Baffin's  Bay  occupies  a  coast  line  extending 
more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  yet  there  are  not  more  than 
twenty  huts,  arranged  in  clusters  of  from  three  to  five,  within  that 
extent  of  ground,  and  the  population  is  probably  less  than  two  hundred 
persons,  including  men,  women,  and  children.  Their  life  is  subject  to 
many  vicissitudes,  perpetually  alternating  between  a  feast  and  a  famine. 
They  are  n^.ver  moderate  in  prosperity,  but  always  patient  in  adversity. 
No  prospect  of  want  can  make  them  economical.  When  they  have  food, 
they  use  it  freely,  and  indeed  extravagantly ;  and  when  they  have 
little  or  nothing  to  eat,  they  submit  to  their  privations  with  admirable 
fortitude  and  resignation. 

They  subsist  for  the  most  part  on  animal  food ;  viz.,  the  flesh  of 
the  bear,  walrus,  seal,  and  fox,  and  occasionally  certain  aquatic  birds ; 
but  when  pressed  by  hunger,  they  devour  the  few  edible  herbs  and 
roots  which  their  sterile  country  affords,  and  especially  the  lichen,  or 
moss,  which  is  found  on  some  of  the  rocks ;  and  it  sometimes  happens 
that  they  are  obliged  to  maintain  themselves  for  months  together  on 
this  "  lenten  entertainment." 

The  religion  of  the  Esquimaux  is,  of  all  curious  systems  of  theology, 
the  most  curious.  Nevertheless  they  are  not  polytheists,  demon- wor- 
shipers, nor  even  idolaters,  in  the  common  acceptation  of  that  term. 
They  believe  in  one  supreme  deity,  whom  they  call  Toongarsoon ;  like- 
wise in  a  devil,  who  is  of  the  feminine  gender,  but  whose  proper  name 
(if  she  has  one),  I  could  never  ascertain.  Their  god  is  supposed  to 
reside  in  a  handsome  stone  dwelling,  situated  somewhere  in  the  sea. 
His  occupation,  according  to  their  notion,  is  a  very  benevolent  one :  for 
he  is  said  to  keep  large  herds  of  seals,  sea-horses,  &c.,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  providing  entertainments  for  the  souls  of  good  men,  which 
are  transported  immediately  after  death  to  the  apartment  assigned  to 
them  in  the  marine  palace  where  his  godship  resides.    A  large  apart- 


EONNTAG's   narrative   of   the  aUINNELL  EXrEDITION. 


187 


ment  of  this  palace  is  said  to  be  fitted  up  with  cooking  apparatus,  all  on 
the  most  extensive  scale ;  pots  and  kettles  of  such  huge  dimensions, 
that  walruses,  sea-unicorns,  seals,  &c.,  in  large  numbers,  are  boiled  or 
baked  therein  every  day,  to  furnish  a  perpetual  banquet  for  the  happy 
spirits  of  deceased  Esquimaux  hunters,  or  such  of  them  as  have  behaved 
themselves  with  tolerable  propriety  while  in  the  flesh.  Hence  it  will 
appear  that  the  Esquimaux  heaven  consists  of  a  never-ending  feast  of 
fat  things,  an  eternity  of  well-cooked  walrus-meat  and  seal's  blubber. 

The  devil  (the  female  one,  remember),  is  supposed  to  be  an  unworthy 
sister  of  the  divine  Toongarson.  She  resides  at  some  distance  from  her 
brother's  palace,  on  an  island,  where  game  of  all  kinds  is  very  scarce, 
where  she  takes  charge  of  deceased  sinners,  who,  under  her  domestic 
management,  fare  worse,  if  possible,  than  the  inmates  of  some  of  the 
cheap  boarding-houses  in  New  York.  In  fact,  these  delinquent  spirits 
suffer  the  pangs  of  starvation,  and  their  cries  and  shrieks  of  agony  are 
often  heard  above  the  howling  of  the  Arctic  gales  and  the  angry  roar 
of  the  mountain  torrents. 

The  Esquimaux  are  almost  the  only  people  in  the  world  who  have 
no  government.  Every  man  among  them  is  absolutely  his  own  master. 
They  have  indeed  a  nominal  patriarch  or  chief-oflicer  of  the  tribe,  who 
is  called  Noolegook ;  but  his  oflSce  is  a  sinecure,  and  his  prerogative  is 
not  to  enforce  obedience  but  to  give  advice.  His  advice  is  given  freely 
and  seldom  gives  oifense,  for  the  Esquimaux  have  not  learned  that  it  is 
an  insult  to  offer  a  man  good  counsel ;  however,  they  often  adopt  the 
rule  which  is  operative  on  a  majority  of  our  species,  that  is,  to  accept 
no  advice  which  does  not  accord  with  their  own  opinions. 

They  acknowledge  no  law  except  public  opinion,  and  this  seems  to 
have  great  weight  with  them.  Grimes  are  seldom  committed  because 
they  are  disgraceful  and  inconvenient,  the  criminal  being  shunned  and 
abhorred  by  his  fellow-countrymen.  Injuries  are  sometimes  but  not 
always  punished  by  acts  of  private  resentment ;  but  the  principal  way 
in  which  their  vengeance  is  exhibited  is  by  making  their  enemy  ridicu- 
lous. For  this  purpose  be  is  invited  by  the  offended  party  to  meet  at  a 
certain  time  and  place  where  the  matter  in  dispute  becomes  the  subject 
of  a  satirical  controversy,  a  number  of  persons  being  assembled  to  hear 
and  decide  according  to  the  real  merits  of  the  case.  The  accuser  then 
makes  a  speech  full  of  biting  sarcasm,  in  which  the  conduct  of  the 
accused  is  represented  in  the  most  unfavorable  light ;  and  when  this 
harangue  is  finished,  the  opposite  party  rises  and  makes  another  speech, 
intended  to  throw  back  all  the  odium  and  contempt  on  his  opponent.  In 
this  way  the  discussion  is  continued  until  an  overwhelming  laugh  is 


p^ 


K 


» 


80NNTAQ  S   NARRATIVE   OF  THE   OUINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


139 


pi 

o 
u 

m 

Pi 
W 

ti 

t= 

» 
o 

(£ 

O 

S5 
i-t 

QQ 


raised  at  the  expense  of  one  of  the  controversialists,  Avho  makes  a  hasty 
retreat,  pursued  by  the  scoffs  and  jeers  of  the  whole  auditory,  while  his 
opponent,  triumphantly  claims  the  victory.  All  disputes  and  quarrels 
among  these  people  are  settled  by  this  whimsical  mode  of  duelling ;  and 
the  wordy  contest  being  over,  the  opposing  parties  are  generally 
reconciled  and  as  good  friends  as  ever. 

By  the  arrival  of  the  annual  ships  at  Upernavik,  the  Esquimaux 
residents  were  supplied  with  various  articles  of  food  which  they  covet 
exceedingly,  particularly  coffee,  which  they  consume  in  great  quantities 
when  they  have  become  accustomed  to  its  use.  It  is  fortunate  for  them 
that  they  have  not  the  sarrie  passionate  fondness  for  alcoholic  liquor ; 
but,  as  I  have  said  before,  they  have  no  relish  for  any  thing  of  the  kind. 
As  soon  as  the  lading  of  the  ship  was  deposited  in  the  storehouse,  the 
Esquimaux  customers  thronged  to  the  place  with  the  commodities  for 
which  they  receive  European  productions  in  exchange.  Soon  after  a 
fire  was  kindled  before  every  tent,  and  scores  of  Esquimaux  women  were 
employed  in  the  preparation  of  coffee.  They  make  it  very  strong,  and 
drink  it  without  milk  or  cream  of  course,  as  these  articles  are  not  within 
their  reach ;  but  for  the  purpose  of  sweetening  the  beverage,  they  hold 
small  pieces  of  sugar  candy  in  their  mouths  as  the  Netherland  ladies  do 


ESQUIMAUX    AND    UIS    KYAIK. 


when  they  drink  tea.     While  their  store  of  coffee  lasts,  they  drink  the 
liquid  preparation  ten  or  twelve  times  per  day. 
The  Esquimaux  of  this  settlement  do  not  live  in  stone  houses  like 


140 


SONNTAO  S   NARHATIVE  OF  THE  QRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


those  on  the  northern  coast ;  their  dwellings  are  made  of  sods  or  turf, 
and  have  vroodcn  roofs  and  sleeping  bunks  of  the  same  material; 
though  the  interior  of  the  huts  are  arranged,  in  other  respects,  much 
like  those  of  the  northern  tribes.  At  this  settlement  it  is  no  uncommon 
thing  for  marriages  to  take  place  between  Danish  men  and  Esquimaux 
women ;  the  consequence  is  that  a  mixed  breed  is  produced,  which  is 
superior  in  some  particulars  to  the  original  stock  on  either  side.  The 
women  of  the  mixed  races  are  much  handsomer  than  those  of  pure 
Esquimaux  blood,  the  latter  being  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the 
men  except  by  their  dress.  The  Esquimaux  of  this  locality  have  begun 
to  learn  some  of  the  arts  and  to  appreciate  some  of  the  comforts  of 
civilized  life.  Their  houses  are  kept  very  neat  and  clean ;  the  sides  or 
walls  are  sometimes  papered  or  covered  with  pictures,  chiefly  of  German 
or  Danish  production,  representing  southern  landscapes,  agricultural 
scenes,  cities,  soldiers  and  other  objects,  of  which  these  people  can  have 
but  d  very  faint  conception,  as  they  are  so  very  unlike  any  thing  that 
may  be  seen  in  their  own  desolate  country.  Some  of  the  huts  have,  in 
addition  to  the  common  Esquimaux  lamps,  very  convenient  iron  stoves, 
which  are  exported  to  this  region  by  the  Greenland  Trading  Company. 
These  stoves,  as  a  matter  of  policy,  are  sold  to  the  natives  at  very  low 
prices,  because  the  use  of  them  makes  less  consumption  of  oil,  and  the 
company  obtain  larger  supplies  of  that  commodity  for  exportation  to 
Denmark,  Sweden,  and  other  European  countries. 

A  priest  and  a  schoolmaster  are  stationed  at  this  settlement,  and  the 
Esquimaux  children  are  taught  to  read  and  write  in  their  own  language, 
for  which  a  suitable  alphabet  has  been  contrived.  Like  the  tribes  of 
the  north,  the  Esquimaux  of  Upernavik  change  their  places  of  residence 
twice  in  each  year,  occupying  their  huts  in  winter  and  tents  in  summer. 
Their  tents  are  made  of  prepared  seal  skins  stretched  on  poles. 


i\ 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


DRESSES  AND  DECORATIONS  OP  ESQUIMAUX  LADIES. — AN  INGENIOUS 
SIGNAL,  OR  A  BEAU-CATCIIINQ  CONTRIVANCE. — ADMIRABLE  CON- 
STRUCTION OP  THE  ESQUIMAUX  BOATS. — REINDEER  HUNTING  BY 
WATER. — WE  PROCEED  IN  A  DANISH  SHIP  TO  DISCO  ISLAND. — OUR 
HOSPITABLE  RECEPTION.— ARRIVAL  OF  CAPTAIN  HARTSTEIN'S  EXPE- 
DITION IN  SEARCH  OF  DR.  KANE. — WE  EMBARK  FOR  THE  UNITED 
STATES. — ARRIVAL  AT  NEW  YORK.— CONCLUSION   OF  THE   NARRATIVE. 


The  women  of  this  settlement  aim  at  some  elegance  in  their  style  of 
dressing.  Their  boots  are  made  of  tanned  seal  skin  of  various  colors, 
white,  red,  yellow  or  violet,  and  profusely  embroidered.  They  wear 
pantaloons  of  tanned  seal  skins,  ornamented  with  colored  strips  of  the 
same  kind  of  leather.  Their  jackets  or  jumpers,  are  composed,  some- 
times, of  printed  cotton  cloth  or  calico,  and  sometimes  of  woolen  cloth 
embroidered  with  silk  tape  or  colored  galoons.  Their  garments  exhibit 
as  much  variegation  of  color,  if  not  as  much  richness  of  material,  as 
the  dresses  of  the  ladies  who  promenade  Chestnut  street  and  Broadway. 
All  of  them  wear  an  unsightly  knot  of  hair  on  the  tops  of  their  heads, 
which  counteracts  all  their  efforts  to  look  pretty.  Around  this  top- 
knot the  married  ladies  wind  a  narrow  blue  ribbon;  the  unmarried 
ones  use  a  red  ribbon  for  the  same  purpose ;  and  this  ornament  answers 
the  purpose  of  a  sign  or  signal  to  advise  male  spectators  that  the  wearer 
is  still  in  the  matrimonial  market ;  and  I  dare  say  some  of  the  young 
ladies  of  other  countries  would  be  ghd  to  avail  themselves  of  a  similar 
mode  of  advertising.  The  head-dress  is  completed  by  tying  a  colored 
silk-handkerchief,  neatly  folded,  around  the  brow,  like  the  ancient  tiara 
or  diadem.  These  ladies  are  fond  of  bijouterie;  few  of  them  being 
seen  without  rings  in  their  ears  and  on  their  fingers. 

Near  the  tents  are  low  stands  or  racks  made  of  wood,  on  which  the 
sledges  and  kaiacks  are  placed  when  they  are  not  required  for  use. 
The  kaiack,  or  Esquimaux  boat,  deserves  a  particular  description.  It 
consists  of  a  light  wooden  frame,  covered  with  tanned  seal  skins :  the 
length  is  about  eighteen  feet ;  their  greatest  breadth  on  deck,  is  from 
eighteen  to  twenty-one  inches,  and  their  greatest  depth  about  ten 
inches.     The  wooden  strips  of  which  the  framework  is  composed,  when 

(141) 


142 


SONNTAO'S   NAUaATIVE   OF  THE   GBINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


separate,  are  not  thicker  than  a  man's  finger.  The  seal  hides  which 
cover  this  frame  are  sewed  together  with  the  tendons  or  sinews  of  the 
same  animal.  The  deck  is  formed  in  a  similar  manner  and  of  the  same 
materials,  but  has  a  circular  hcle  in  the  middle,  through  which  the 
boatman  squeezes  his  lower  extremities,  which  are  pretty  well  secured 
from  wet  and  cold,  while  the  othe*  parts  of  his  person  are  protected 
from  the  weather  merely  by  his  ordinary  wearing  apparel.  The  hole 
in  which  the  boatman  sits  has  around  it  a  seal  skin  rim  or  belt  about 
two  inches  wide,  which  the  man  ties  around  his  waist,  and  so  makes  his 
little  bark  perfectly  water-tight,  above  deck  and  below  it,  whereby  he 
is  enabled  to  float  her  in  the  roughest  seas,  as  it  is  impossible  for  his 
boat  *  sink.  On  the  deck  iTimediately  behind  the  boatman  is  an  air- 
tight bag  or  bladder,  made  of  seal  skins,  which  is  kept  inflated,  and  is 
intended  to  be  attached  to  the  line  of  the  harpoon,  for  the  purpose  of 
retarding  the  progress  of  the  animals  which  the  boatman  may  succeed 
in  harpooning.  Before  the  Esquimaux  boatman  a  stand  or  reel  made 
of  bono  is  fixed  to  the  deck,  and  on  this  the  harpoon-line  is  coiled. 
The  harpoons  and  lances  are  also  carried  on  deck.  The  kaiacker,  or 
boatman,  is  dressed  in  water-tight  seal  skin  clothing.  He  propels  his 
kaiack  through  the  water  by  means  of  a  paddle  about  one  foot  long, 
having  a  blade  on  each  end.  In  these  boats  the  Esquimaux  can  move 
at  the  rate  of  five  miles  or  more  per  hour ;  and,  on  long  journeys,  they 
average  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  per  day.  When  land  or  ice  inter- 
rupts his  j.rogress,  the  boatman  takes  his  kaiack  out  of  the  water,  and 
carries  it,  with  all  its  freight,  on  his  shoulder  or  back.  Besides  their 
kaiacks,  the  Esquimaux  have  boats  of  a  larger  size  called  oomiaks. 
These  are  their  family  boats,  and  are  used  for  the  conveyance  of  the 
women  and  children.  The  oomiaks  are  made  in  all  respects  like  the 
kaiaks,  differing  from  the  latter  in  size  only ;  and  are  rowed  or  paddled 
by  the  women  themselves,  as  the  men  seldom  or  never  accompany  them 
on  their  excursions. 

The  Esquimaux  of  Upernavik  use  their  boats  when  they  hunt  the 
reindeer,  as  these  animals  sometimes  betake  themselves  to  the  water 
when  they  arc  pursued,  and  continue  therein  until  they  are  so  much 
fatigued  with  swimming  that  they  ere  easily  overtaken.  They  are  so 
numerous  on  the  mainland  that  four  or  five  thousand  of  them  are  killed 
in  one  season  by  the  inhabitants  of  a  single  settlement. 

After  leaving  Upernavik  we  had  a  quick  passage,  in  the  Danish  ship, 
to  Godhaven  or  Lively,  on  Disco  Island,  where  the  Royal  Inspector  of 
North  Greenland  resides.  This  place  has  quite  a  respectable  appear- 
ance ;  it  contains,  besides  many  huts  and  small  buildings,  some  eight 


SONNTAO'S   NARRATIVE   OF  THE   GRINNELL  EXPEDITION. 


143 


int  the 

water 

much 

are  so 

killed 

|h  ship, 
Btor  of 
lippear- 
eight 


or  ten  handsome  wooden  houses  of  considerable  size,  built  in  the  modern 
style ;  the  sight  of  which  made  us  feel  almost  at  home.  Among  the 
residents  of  Godhaven,  besides  the  Inspector,  are  the  Governor,  Mr. 
Sanderson,  and  his  Assistant,  Mr.  Olrick,  and  several  other  gentlemen 
of  education  and  refinement,  who  treated  us  with  the  greatest  hospi- 
tality— doing  all  in  their  power  to  compensate  us  for  the  hardships  and 
deprivation  of  comforts,  to  which  we  had  so  long  been  subjected. 
Certainly  the  kindness  of  their  behavior  to  us  will  always  be  held  in 
grateful  remembrance  by  every  member  of  our  party. 

A  Danish  ship  visits  this  place  once  every  year ;  and  we  were  for- 
tunate enough  to  find  it  there  when  we  arrived.  This  ship  is  sent  from 
Copenhagen  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  settlers  with  clothing, 
provisions,  newspapers  and  letters  from  their  friends  in  Denmark.  As 
the  good  people  on  the  island  receive  their  newspapers  but  once  in  a 
year,  it  may  be  supposed  that  they  are  not  well  posted  up  in  the  affairs 
of  the  world  at  large. 

A  short  time  before  the  Danish  vessel  intended  to  start  on  her  home- 
ward trip,  two  other  ships  were  reported  to  be  seen  standing  for  the 
harbor  They  were  soon  made  out  to  be  a  propeller  and  a  bark;  and 
we  doubted  not  that  these  were  the  vessels  belonging  to  the  American 
expedition  under  Captain  Ilartstein,  which  had  been  sent  out  to  search 
for  Dr.  Kane  and  his  party.  We  had  heard  some  account  of  this 
expedition  while  we  remained  at  Upernavik.  As  soon  as  the  vessels 
came  near  enough  to  satisfy  us  respecting  their  identity,  several  boats 
were  manned  for  the  conveyance  of  our  company  on  board.  When  we 
reached  the  bark,  which  was  towed  by  the  steamer,  we  met  with  a 
hearty  and  joyful  reception  from  Captain  Ilartstein  and  the  officers 
under  his  command.  They  had  past  our  boats  in  Melville  Bay  while 
wo  were  returning  and  Captain  Ilartstein  was  proceeding  northward, 
but  it  so  happened  that  we  did  not  come  within  sight  of  each  other. 
They  approached  within  forty  miles  of  our  deserted  ship,  when  their 
progress  was  stopped  by  the  fast  ice.  They  then  returned  on  the  west 
side ;  and  as  no  traces  of  our  expedition  were  found,  they  intenJed  to 
return  to  the  north,  and  renew  their  search  during  the  winter  and  the 
succeeding  spring  and  summer.  Their  voyage  had  been  quite  a  rough 
one,  as  the  condition  of  their  ships  sufficiently  testified.  These  vessels 
remained  for  several  days  in  the  harbor  of  Godhaven,  where  the  officers 
were  most  generously  entertained  by  the  gentlemen  of  the  place.  All 
the  members  of  Dr.  Kane's  expedition  being  received  on  board,  we 
started  for  New  York,  and  arrived  at  that  city,  after  a  very  quick 
passage,  on  the  eleventh  day  of  October,  1855. 


144 


80NNTAO  8   NAUIIATIVB   UF   TIIK   OHINNKLL  EXPEDITION. 


To  many  oi  the  frionda  whom  wo  liad  loft  in  the  United  States  when 
vre  engaged  in  this  arduous  enterprise,  our  safe  return  was  equally  gra- 
tifying  and  unexpected.  Our  protracted  absence  had  confirmed  many 
persons  in  tho  belief  that  we  had  perished  in  the  realms  of  perpetual 
ice.  Some  did  not  even  admit  that  wc  had  sacrificed  ourselves  in 
a  good  cause,  but  judged  that  wo  had  paid  with  our  hves  the  just 
penalty  of  our  presumption  in  attempting  to  search  that  dark  corner 
of  creation,  where  Nature  shrouds  herself  in  an  impenetrable  tabornuclo 
of  ice.  To  our  own  perceptions  this  happy  restoration  to  our  homes  and 
friends  was  a  fortunato  event ;  for  on  more  than  one  occasion  during 
our  absence  we  had  almost  ceased  to  hope  for  such  a  consummation. 
We  had  passed  through  scenes  of  severer  sufibrlng,  perhaps,  than  any 
human  beings  ever  endured  before  ;  wo  had  lived  through  a  succession 
of  hardships  which  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  our  fellow-men 
could  not  have  survived ;  we  had  been  literally  buried  in  the  ice,  and 
could  deliver  ourselves  from  that  frightful  inhumation  only  by  attempt- 
ing a  journey  which  nothing  but  desperation  could  have  prompted  us 
to  undertake.  Need  I  say  that  our  hearts  glowed  with  emotions  of 
gratitude  to  God  when  we  found  ourselves  restored  to  the  blessings  of 
a  temperate  climate,  social  intercourse,  and  domestic  comfort ;  blessingi 
which,  by  long  privation,  we  had  learned  to  appreciate  according  to 
their  worth. 


TUB  END.  ' 


Eitcs  when 
ially  gra- 
icd  many 
perpetual 
:solvos  in 

the  just 
.rk  coiner 
;ahornuclo 
lomca  und 
3n  during 
immation. 

than  any 
succession 
ellow-men 
e  ice,  and 
f  attempt- 
)mpted  us 
actions  of 
casings  of 

blessingi 
:ording  to 


> 


